Riverdale: The Gang plus 1
by choejhulkp9
Summary: Will Detmer thought that the summer before his junior year was just going to be a regular one where he works with his dad, he'd hang out with his friend Jughead and Archie and maybe finally get a girlfriend but instead it wound up being a summer of lies, deceit, and murder. This along with the three other new OC stories are stuff I've been working on for a while. Hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, here is a story that I've gotten some requests for, so I decided to take a crack at it. It's a Riverdale story with an OC mixed in with Archie and the gang. Just to point out for my story, the show isn't that great with establishing age and time for the characters except in a few places. For example, Jason Blossom was 17 and since he and Cheryl are twins, that would make her 17. She's also stated to be Senior Captain of the River Vixens meaning that she is a senior yet has the same classes as the core 4. Again, it could just be the writers not addressing the issue so they leave it alone but for my story Cheryl is still 17 but is a junior, like my OC. Which makes sense since he, Jason, and Cheryl were friends and with some writing tweaks, it'll work. It's not impossible for Jason to be captain when he was a sophomore.** **So, just for clarification, Will and Cheryl are a grade above the core 4.**

 **OC Characters:**

 **Will Detmer: Steven R. McQueen**

 **John Detmer: Sam Worthington**

 **Rosaline Detmer: Leslie Mann**

 **Will Detmer thought that the summer before his junior year was just going to be a regular one where he works with his dad, he'd hang out with his friend Jughead and Archie and maybe finally get a girlfriend but instead it wound up being a summer of lies, deceit, and murder. Enjoy!**

 **The Gang plus 1**

 **The Wolf of the Pack**

 _Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From the distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world. Safe. Decent. Innocent. Get closer, though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town…is Riverdale. Like all small towns, it had its quirks and charms and a long history. It was founded by the Blossom family, who are treated like royalty and practically own everything. Nothing happens in this town that they don't know about. And as it would turn out, the recent Blossom decedents would be at the center of showing the dark and true nature of the town._

But our story involves one of Riverdale's unique residents, William Detmer. Will's family didn't have a long history in Riverdale like the Blossoms, but his Grandfather moved here and his son stayed. His grandfather came to the town and became Riverdale's first architect and started _Detmer Designs_ which was now a fairly well-known design company all along the eastern seaboard. Each subsequent generation got into the business as his father, John Detmer took over when he was 30. John Detmer served in the United States Marine Corp for 8 years in the Middle East and on a joint taskforce in Israel before returning home to Riverdale and taking over _Detmer Designs_. John Detmer expanded the business and began to focus a lot on Riverdale, designing new affordable homes and low-cost buildings which were then given to Andrew's construction. John Detmer and Fred Andrews were friends in high school and their bond was still strong years later with their collective business doing extremely well for both of them. Because of their closeness, their kids grew up together as Archie began a surrogate younger brother for Will.

William Detmer is an 18-year old Riverdale high junior. He grew up in Riverdale his whole life and everyone in town knew him as the son of John Detmer, their local war hero. Since his dad served in the Marines, he taught Will how to defend himself and fight should he ever get in trouble and to keep a level head in those kinds of situations. He learned self-defense like kick-boxing and even Krav Maga and it kept him in excellent shape and because of this; he got the reputation of a wolf leader or an alpha dog. More commonly and jokingly named the Alpha Wolf or Alpha.

He kept an eye out for his friends and people who needed help, especially Archie, Jughead, and Betty. He acted like a surrogate big brother to them and they were his friends, so Will looked out for them and made sure they kept out of trouble. Since Will had learned to fight from his dad when he was young, it kept him in great shape and he stayed that way because of Soccer and Baseball. He played for the Riverdale high team and was actually their captain. He also sang, not for concerts like Josie and her band but for fun so whenever they needed a male vocalist for a song for notes they couldn't hit, they'd call him. He played Soccer and Baseball because he enjoyed it and it would help with college but like his grandfather and father, Will's talents and passion lay with drawing and designing. He was only 18 and was already an amazing artist and designer with pencils, paint, and a computer. He often carries a sketch pad with pencils of all types and drew sketches and drawings of people or locations.

His talents impressed his dad enough that he let Will co-design a lot of the building plans he submitted for construction and several of them were even approved for building in cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Will got a small commission for his aid and some excellent marks for college applications when he was ready. During the summer before his junior year, he worked with his dad on designs, helped Fred Andrews at the construction site, hung out with his friend Jughead and with his friend Jason Blossom before the incident on 4th of July. And after that, it was all anyone would talk about and even when school started again, it still haunted the town.

 _On the Fourth of July just after dawn, Jason and Cheryl Blossom drove out to Sweetwater River for an early morning boat ride. The next thing we know happened for sure is that Dilton Doiley, who was leading Riverdale's Boy Scout Troop on a bird watching expedition came upon Cheryl by the river's edge. Riverdale Police dragged Sweetwater River for Jason's body, but never found it. So, a week later, The Blossom family buried an empty casket and Jason's death was ruled an accident as the story that Cheryl told made the rounds. That Cheryl dropped a glove in the water, and Jason reached down to get it, and accidently tipped the boat, and panicked and drowned._

It was the last day of summer vacation and Will was prepared to go back to school but he had something else on his mind. After Jason's death, the Blossom's kept themselves isolated from the rest of the town. Even Will, who was a good friend of Jason and Cheryl wasn't really welcome and Will figured they needed space and time to grieve, so he respected their wishes. But he wanted to do something nice for Cheryl before school started since it wouldn't be a good start with Jason's death still lingering on the minds of everyone.

Will slicked his brown hair and walked out of his room, standing a solid 6ft2 and dressed in a dark blue button down, jeans and sneakers. To finish his outfit, he was wearing his black jacket/hoodie and his signature wolf necklace his dad got him when he was 2 when his mother left. He grabbed the red gift bag he got Cheryl and walked into the garage to drive to Pop's to pick up something. He entered the garage to see his dad's Chevy Suburban and Mercedes Sedan. But Will kept moving to his part of the garage. Since he had helped his dad with the designs for some buildings, he got some commission for his work and he saved a lot for college or for rainy days but splurged a little on himself. He bought a _2012 Crimson and Black Harley-Davidson Street 750_ motorcycle and a fully restored and tuned _1967 Black Chevrolet Impala_. It was his baby as he had help restoring it by Fred Andrews and Hal Cooper and it was a beast despite the gas mileage on it and it was good for when it snowed in Riverdale.

Will grabbed the Impala keys and drove to Pops. He parked outside the shop as the nearby teens heard the familiar roar of Will's baby as he called it. Will walked inside and saw there were some people around as he walked to the counter. "Hey, Will. How are you doing?" Pop asked.

"Fine. School starts tomorrow, not looking forward to that." Will replied.

"And your dad?" Pop asked.

"Currently busy talking to some building contractors from New York. You know how he gets when he's busy." Will said as Pop chuckled.

"Yeah, so what can I get you?" Pop asked.

"Uh, I'll take a Strawberry milkshake and a piece of cherry pie to go." Will said as he paid Pop and left a nice tip as Pop got to work on his order. Will sat down at the counter when he saw the familiar red tinge of an Andrews. He then saw a familiar plop of blonde hair in a pony tail and knew it was Archie and Betty.

Will decided to screw with him a bit as he slowly walked forward and motioned Betty to keep quiet and she did a subtle nod. Will got close and when he was directly behind him, he put Archie in a headlock. "Say uncle or I shave your head." Will said as Archie managed to look up and saw Will.

"Get the hell off." Archie said as Will kept hold.

"Come on, say uncle or say goodbye to your hair." Will joked as Betty chuckled and Archie tapped his arm.

"All right, uncle, uncle." Archie said as Will let go.

"Come on, Archie. You worked with me and your dad all summer. You should have gotten out of that." Will told him.

"Well, not all of us have military training." Archie shot back.

"Details." Will said as he smiled at Betty. "And speaking of details, I'm going to need to know how my little sis's summer internship went."

"Hey, Will." Betty said as she got up and hugged him as Will hugged back and kissed her head. "Geez, you keep getting bigger."

"I'm offended. There's not a shred of fat on me." Will said with a mock offended tone and held his heart causing Archie and Betty to chuckle.

"You know what I mean." Betty replied.

"I know, I just like to mess with you. Besides, I'm not the only one who matured over the summer. I remember you being a few inches shorter." Will said as he held his hand out to signify her old height. "And not as beautiful."

"Thanks, Will." Betty replied with a small blush.

"So, how the internship?" Will asked.

"It was amazing. The highlight was the Toni Morrison book release party I organized. At the end of the night, he told me _don't rush this time, Betty. It goes by so fast at your age. One summer can change everything."_ She said as Will nodded.

"Those are words to live. Believe me. Before you know it, you have college applications and SAT's to deal with. Have fun looking forward to next year." He told them. "But keep it up, Betty. Something tells me that the future's got big plans for you…for both of you."

"Thanks, Will." Archie said as he saw a new girl walk into Pop's he hadn't seen before and the moment he saw her…she took his breath away. Will saw this and decided to head out.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow. Betty, need a ride tomorrow?" Will asked as she nodded. "Archie?"

"Nah, I'm good." Archie told him as he nodded and did a mock salute. He grabbed his order and left the diner, but not before winking at the new girl who smirked at him.

Will got in his car and drove through Riverdale to the Blossom manor, Thornhill. Most small towns had haunted mansions, Thornhill was Riverdale's. It was massive to show the Blossom family's wealth with a monogramed _B_ on the gates and to add to the creepy factor, it had a graveyard on the premises. Will had been there several times when he hung out with Jason and Cheryl or at their parties, but it's been a while.

Will drove up to the gates and hit the buzzer as he waited a few seconds and they opened. He drove down their massive driveway and parked his car by the little circle driveway by the front door. He parked his car, grabbed the gifts for Cheryl and knocked on the door. He waited a few seconds before knocking again. He waited when Penelope Blossom, Jason and Cheryl's mother opened the door.

"Hey, Mrs. Blossom. Sorry about the lateness but I was hoping I could see Cheryl really quickly." Will said with a courteous smile as she smiled back.

"Of course, Will. You know you're always welcome here." Penelope said as she opened the door and Will walked in. "You were such a good friend to Jason and looked after him and Cheryl. Not to mention you helped her with her studies."

"More of the other way around, Mrs. Blossom. But with Jason gone, I'm making a promise to look after Cheryl." Will said as she nodded.

"And she'll need it. She's in her room." Penelope said as Will nodded. He walked up the stairs and made his way through their massive home and long hallways. He had been here dozens of times to hang out with Jason, so he knew his way around the place fairly well. He walked down the hallway and when he got closer to Cheryl's room he saw the door was slightly open and the blare of loud music. Will opened the door and he saw Cheryl practicing some new moves for the Riverdale Vixens routines. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and short shorts. Will smirked as he saw her dancing and moving to the music.

"You know, you might want to take it easy with those moves. You don't want to have every guy in school to lose their minds even more." Will said as Cheryl turned and saw Will learning in her doorway.

"Depends on the guy." Cheryl said as Will walked over and she hugged him with all her might as Will hugged back. "I missed you."

"Missed you too." Will said as they broke apart and he saw her bright red hair. "How are you doing?"

"I miss him." Cheryl told him as Will nodded.

"So do I. But you don't have to go through this alone. And I know Jason was always proud of you and he's going to be watching over you from now on." Will said.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" She asked as she sat on her bed and held a teddy bear Jason got her.

"I do. I'm not the biggest person who believes in god after what my dad's been through and what happens in the world…but I do know that just because someone's no longer with us doesn't mean they're gone." Will said as he sat down next to her. "Jason loved you no matter what, Cheryl. Never forget that and you'll never be without him. We honor the dead by living for tomorrow."

"Where'd you hear that?" Cheryl asked.

"It's a saying in the marine corp. Along with gone but never forgotten. Jason isn't here but you won't be alone. I've been looking out for you and your brother since middle school and I'm not stopping now, I promise on Jason's memory. So, if you need anything, just say it." Will said as Cheryl hugged him and tears rolled down her eyes. "Everyone may see the wall you put you but don't feel the need to around me."

"Thank you." She said as Will hugged back and kissed her head.

"You don't ever need to thank me." Will said as they broke apart from the hug. "Enjoy the milkshake and pie, they're from Pops. I'll see you tomorrow."

Will left as Cheryl took a sip of the milkshake and saw the small red bag that Will left. She opened it and saw a small wrapped picture frame and a small box. She opened the box to see a beautiful red wolf broach with a small note that red _The leader doesn't abandon his pack_. Cheryl chuckled as Will was known as an Alpha wolf, always looking out for his friends. She put the broach on her bed and unwrap the picture frame and started to tear up at what she saw. It was a beautifully drawn and colored picture of her and Jason. She was wearing her Rivervixen uniform and Jason was wearing his football jersey. But Jason was drawn kneeling on the ground with an angelic light behind him with the words _Gone but never forgotten_ written below _._

Cheryl cried some tears of sadness and joy as she put the picture on her desk and got dressed for bed.

Line Break xxxxx

Will woke up the next morning, took a shower and got dressed in a black long sleeve, blue jeans, converse sneakers and a denim jacket along with his signature wolf necklace. Will grabbed his backpack and walked downstairs to see his dad in the kitchen. "Hey, Dad." Will said as he grabbed some orange juice.

"Morning, Will. So, first day back. Excited?" John asked.

"Sort of. It's kind of a big year." Will said as John nodded.

"Don't worry, your grades are excellent, your PSAT's are good and you've got a lot on your college application. Just try to stay out of trouble." John told him.

"No promises on that." Will said as he grabbed a banana to go. "I'm picking up, Betty. I'll see you later."

Will grabbed his Impala keys and drove to pick Betty up who was getting ready for school while her mother talked.

"Betty. This coming year is critical for colleges. Grades are important, extracurriculars, athletics. Maintaining a decent character is hugely important, they do look at that." Alice told her daughter.

"Mom, I'm a sophomore." Betty replied.

"You've accomplished so much. I just don't want anything jeopardizing that." She told her as Betty finished packing her bag. "Just look at Polly. She was such a rising star until she let that Blossom boy ruin her."

"Mom, I'm not Polly." Betty replied.

"You missed curfew last night." Alice told her.

"By seven minutes. I was with Archie, who has red hair, yes, but is nothing like Jason Blossom." Betty replied.

"Oh, but sweetie, all boys are like Jason Blossom." Alice told her.

"That's not you think about Will. Quite frankly I think he's the only boy in this entire town you like besides his dad." Betty said.

"Well, Will is very smart, charming, nice, and courteous. To be honest, I'm surprised a boy like him exists in Riverdale. And he always looks out for you." Alice said as she cupped her daughter's face. "I love you so much, Elizabeth. I just need you to be smart, ok?"

Betty nodded as Alice put a pill bottle in her hand. "I refilled your Adderall. Seems you forgot to pick up your prescription." Alice said when they heard the distinct honking of a car horn. "What on earth?"

Alice stuck her head out of Betty's window and saw Will on the street, leaning against his car waving at her. "It's Will. He's driving me to school." Betty said as she grabbed her backpack. "Bye mom."

Betty ran out of the house to see Will leaning against his car. "Ready?" he asked as she nodded and she would have gotten in except she saw a wrapped gift in the front seat. She looked at Will who looked at her.

"What? Open your gift and get in." He said as Betty got in the car and held the gift as Will drove to school. "I went with my dad to New York for two days when he had to deal with the construction errors on his building. I did a little shopping and got everyone something. I already gave Jughead his gift."

"What was it?" Betty asked.

"Some new editing software he could install on his laptop for his book. I've got Archie's and Kevin's in the trunk. Go on, open it." He said as she did. She ripped off the wrapping paper and she saw a new journal, a limited-edition copy of _Song of Solomon_ by Toni Morrison, and a beautiful wolf-embroidered scrunchie headband.

"Oh my god, Song of Solomon. I've been looking everywhere for it. Where did you find it?" She asked.

"At an old vintage book shop in Brooklyn. Now you're collection is complete." Will said as Betty smiled when she picked up the scrunchie.

"And this?" She asked.

"You're always wearing a scrunchie despite me telling you that you're more beautiful with your hair down." Will said as Betty blushed. "So, since you're not listening to me, I figured I'd get you a scrunchie with a wolf…for my own little touch."

"Thanks, Will." Betty said as she took her scrunchie out of her hair and replaced it with Will's.

"And I thought it would put a few points in my book when you finally realize your feelings for me." Will said as Betty blushed.

"Shut up." She said as she punched her arm.

"Deny it all you want but sooner or later you'll realize I'm right." Will joked as they arrived at school. Will parked his car and they walked into school as Betty went to the Principal's office while Will walked the halls to his locker. He waved and greeted some friends and other students as they waved back. Will walked to his locker, put some stuff away and grabbed his books. He took his sketchpad out of his backpack and opened it, drawing the sketch of the new girl he saw last night as he walked through the school.

Speaking of the new girl, she was with Betty who was giving her a tour of Riverdale high. "So, I usually start off my tours with a little history and context. Riverdale High first opened its doors in 1941 and…" "And hasn't been redecorated since, apparently." Veronica said, cutting off Betty. "Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of _Our Town."_

"Uh huh." Betty said as Veronica giggled.

"So, what's the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" She asked as Kevin swooped him.

"A strip club called the Ho Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo. Friday nights, footballs games and then tailgate parties at the Mallmart parking lot. Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou and you better get there early, because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale. And Sunday nights…thank god for HBO." Kevin said as he hugged Betty.

"Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller." Betty said, introducing the two. "Veronica's new here. Kevin is..." "Gay, thank god. Let's be best friends." Veronica said.

"Is it true what they say about your dad?" Kevin asked as Betty looked at him and realize he hit a sensitive subject.

"That he's the devil incarnate? I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Veronica asked as they didn't answer. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High."

Betty and Kevin walked with Veronica through the school and showed her around as Will walked down the hallway to his class when he saw Archie come out of the auditorium with a defeated look. "Oh, a sad look on a red head. Let me guess, you asked Josie if you could share some of those songs and maybe sing with her?" He asked as Archie looked at him.

"How'd you know?" Archie asked.

"You do realize I helped you with those lyrics over the summer, right? Besides, you're kind of predictable." Will said.

"Well, you could have told me Josie would shut me down." Archie said as Will sighed and wrapped his arm around his shoulder and since he was taller, it was easy.

"Listen, Arch. You've got amazing, talent. Don't ever question that. But Josie, Valerie, Melody have been together for a while and they have a good thing going. Besides, Josie's not that keen on newcomers." Will told him.

"She lets you and Cheryl sing with her sometimes." Archie said.

"That's because we're friends. I've known her for years. You, not so much and it's only when they need me. So, look from her perspective when someone she barely knows comes over to ask to be apart of her group." Will said as Archie reluctantly nodded. "Don't give up, though. All right. Besides, it might be a better idea to go solo for a while. Get used to singing and writing before starting a group. You know, build your skill base. Any kind of path for music is an uphill battle."

"Right." Archie said as Will looked at him with a smirk.

"But if it was hard…" Will asked as Archie smirked back.

"It wouldn't be any fun." Archie replied as Will hugged him.

"All right, I'll see you at lunch." Will said as Archie nodded.

Betty, Veronica, and Kevin turned the corner and they saw Will and Archie talking. "Oh! There's the hottie we were with last night. The red-headed Ansel Elgort. Is he your boyfriend?" Veronica asked, getting a good luck at Archie from the side but Will had his backs to them.

"No, he's straight." "No, we're just friends." Kevin and Betty said.

"In that case, mind putting in a word? I've tried every flavor of boy except orange." Veronica said.

"Actually, to clarify…Betty and Archie aren't dating, but they are endgame." Kevin said as Betty just shook her head and chuckled.

"You should ask him to the semiformal then." Veronica told her as Will turned to Archie, bid him a farewell, and walked away as Veronica saw his face. "And I'll ask that tall, muscular glass of brown hair. Him?"

"That's Will Detmer, our resident alpha wolf, our pack leader." Kevin said as Veronica was interested.

"Oh, I do like a beast." She replied as Kevin and Betty chuckled.

"He just means he looks out for his pack, meaning his friends. Will's one of the most loyal guys in the school and always ready to help people when they need it the most." Betty said.

"Oh, loyalty, another point in his corner. So, what's his deal? Taken, gay?" Veronica asked.

"I wish." Kevin replied as Betty chuckled.

"To be honest, Will's been eternally single ever since we've known him. Which is a long time in my case." Betty said.

"Really?" Veronica asked.

"Not for lake of trying. I've talked to a lot of the girls he's been out with but they all tell me that Will never took things beyond some innocent dates. Something about wanting to find that special zing in someone." Kevin said as Veronica was intrigued.

"More and more interesting. I'm definitely taming that wolf at the semiformal." Veronica said as Betty chuckled.

"You should, but I heard it might be getting canceled. Because of what happened to Jason. They're gonna tell us at the assembly." Kevin said.

"Who is Jason and what happened to him?" Veronica asked as Betty and Kevin looked at her.

Everyone at Riverdale gathered in the gym for the assembly and memorial for Jason's death. Will sat in the bleachers with Josie, Valerie, and Melody while Veronica sat with Betty and Kevin. There was a moment of silence and then Cheryl spoke.

"Thank you for that moment of silence. Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and everyone of you meant the world to Jason. I loved my brother. He was and always will be my soulmate. So, I speak with the confidence only a twin could have…Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives. We honor the dead by living for tomorrow. Which is why I've asked the School Board not to cancel the Back to School Semiformal." Cheryl said as everyone cheered. "But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. He may be gone, but he will not be forgotten. Thank you all."

The assembly ended as everyone made their way to class. Will walked out of the gym when Archie rushed past him and he saw him chasing after Ms. Grundy. "What the hell?" Will asked as he saw Archie was in a rush.

"Will, come on." One of his classmates said as Will nodded and followed.

Will went through AP Calculus, Advanced History, and Biology when lunchtime arrived. He grabbed a sandwich and some water and walked outside to grab a bench as Archie arrived soon after followed by Kevin and Betty. Will finished his sandwich quickly and spent the rest of the time working on a sketch as Archie played demos of his songs he wrote over the summer and they were good. Of course, they were good, Will helped him.

Will was nearly finished with his sketch when a newcomer arrived. "Can I join?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah." Betty replied as Archie quickly shut the laptop.

"So, what are we doing?" Veronica asked.

"Listening to one of Archie's songs." Betty said with a smile.

"I thought we were gonna have to pretend to like it, but it's actually really good." Kevin said.

"Archie's got talent." Will said.

"Wait that was you singing? Something you wrote?" Veronica asked.

"I had some help from Will and it's rough." Archie replied.

"No, it's great." Betty told him.

"It's incredible, actually, the little snippet I heard. So, is that your thing? Music?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, kind of is or planning to be." Archie said as Will pat his shoulder.

"And it will. Just keep going and you'll do fine." Will replied.

"Oh, so the rumors about the so called Alpha Wolf aren't exaggerated." Veronica said as Betty, Archie, and Kevin chuckled.

"And here I thought I'd have to introduce myself but it appears someone already did that." Will said as he looked at Betty who shrugged her shoulders. Will held his hand out. "Will Detmer."

"Veronica Lodge." Veronica replied, shaking his hand.

"Oh, so that's the new girl's name. Good to know." Will said as he went back to the sketch. "So, how's your first day going?"

"Ok. Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought more people would be more…" "Obsessed with you?" Kevin finished her sentence.

"Any other year, you'd be trending number one, for sure. This year, thought, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the best supporting Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow." Kevin said.

"Kevin." Will said as Kevin waved his hands.

"Sorry, just said what came to my head." Kevin replied as Archie saw Cheryl and grabbed his bag.

"Hey, I should go. I got that meeting with Grundy and then football tryouts, so." Archie said as he got up.

"You play football, too? What don't you do?" Veronica asked as Archie asked.

"Before you ask, Blue Jasmine, no, she has not invited him to the dance yet." Kevin said.

"Not yet, and don't talk about Archie." Betty told him.

"Make a move soon, Betty or I'll start to feel jealous." Will joked as Kevin and Veronica chuckled as Betty blushed.

"Shut up." Betty said as she punched his arm.

"And funny. Another point in the wolf's corner." Veronica said as Will chuckled when he saw Cheryl walk over wearing the wolf broach he got her.

"Veronica lodge. I'd heard whisperings. I'm Cheryl Blossom, may I sit?" Cheryl asked. "Willie, would you mind?"

Will raised an eyebrow as Betty scooted over followed by Will as Cheryl took his spot. "So, what are you four gossiping about? Archie's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?" Cheryl asked as Betty shook her head no to Veronica.

"Extracurriculars. Weatherbee wants me to sign up for a few." Veronica said.

"Cheerleading. You must. I'm junior captain of the River Vixens." Cheryl said.

"Is cheerleading still at thing?" Kevin asked.

"Yes, just like the gay best friend." Cheryl shot back as Kevin and Betty was surprised. That was a lot more civil than Cheryl's usual responses. "Some people say its retro, I say it's eternal and iconic."

"At Spence, I sat at the top of the Elite's pyramid. I'm in." Veronica replied. "Betty you're trying out too."

"Of course. Anyone's welcome to try out. Just be ready, it's a full time commitment. Follow me on Twitter and I'll do the same. My handle's at _cherylbombshell_." Cheryl said as she got up. "See you later, Willie."

She draped her arm over his shoulder and arm before winking at him and left, leaving everyone there confused. "I'm not hallucinating right? That just happened." Will said.

"Yeah. Are you and her a thing? You told me the Alpha Wolf's been eternally single." Veronica said to Betty as Will looked at her.

"Wow, what didn't you tell her? My blood type?" He asked as Betty shrugged her shoulder.

"I'm more interested in Cheryl. She was actually…civil. That's never happened before." Kevin said.

"Guess I must be getting through to her." Will said.

"Will, what did you do?" Betty asked.

"I went to see her last night. See how she was doing. You know Jason and I were friends." Will said as Betty nodded. "And I know the drama about Polly and Jason but after 4th of July, the Blossoms sort of cut off contact. I went to visit her before school to see how she was doing and help however I could."

"Is that why you went to Pop's last night?" Betty asked as Will nodded.

"Not that seeing you and messing with Archie wasn't great but I wanted to do something nice for her." Will said as Veronica and Betty awed.

"Aw, that's so sweet." Veronica said.

"And I think your sweetness didn't end at a milkshake from Pop's or was the gay friend not supposed to notice that Red Wolf Broach on her sweater?" Kevin asked.

"Seriously, you have the money for that?" Veronica asked.

"Yes, I do. It was a gift, and now you don't get yours Kevin." Will told him.

"I'm sorry, please. What is it?" Kevin asked as Veronica chuckled.

"No, you're not getting it. Betty, Veronica, would either of you like a fancy new skincare set?" Will asked as he could hear Kevin's heart break.

"I would love one." Veronica said as they all chuckled, seeing Kevin's defeated expression.

"This is cruel and unusual punishment." Kevin muttered.

"Not so fun when the shoe's on the other foot, huh?" Will asked.

"Oh, Will that's sweet. I know Cheryl hasn't been the best acquaintance or friend but it was really nice what you did." Betty said as Will nodded.

"And I also gave her this." Will said as he turned the page on his sketchbook to show them a sketch of the drawing he gave to Cheryl.

"Wow. That's amazing. You're an incredible artist." Veronica said as she was amazed.

"Thanks. It was just a rough first sketch. Took me three more to get it right." Will said.

"Don't say that. Will's an amazing artist and designer. He's even works with his dad in designing building plans as far away as New York." Betty said.

"Really? Any I would know about?" Veronica asked.

"Maybe? Know the new high-rise on 33rd Street?" Will asked as she nodded. "I helped my dad with that design."

"And by help, he means he drew out 60% of the building plans and got paid for his work." Kevin said.

"It's how I bought the gifts." Will said.

"Talented, a song writer, tall, muscular, loyal, kind, and an amazing artist. What don't you do?" Veronica asked.

"I'm also on the Soccer and Baseball team, to add to your list." Will said as Veronica chuckled.

"A guy like you is never single. What's wrong with you, Will?" Veronica asked.

"Guess you'll have to find out, Veronica." Will said as he grabbed his bag. "I'll see you guys later, I have to head over to see Mr. Marks about the designs I'll need to submit for college."

"Right. See you later." Betty said as Will kissed her head.

He then quickly signed something in his sketch pad, tore out the page and handed it to Veronica. "Here, gift for the new girl." Will said as Veronica took it and saw it was a sketch of her. Beautifully drawn and well detailed, basically a photo drawn in pencil with her name written below and Will's signed in the corner.

"It's amazing." Veronica replied as Kevin and Betty saw the sketch.

"Thanks, glad you like it." Will replied.

"Now, you're officially one of us. Will gives out sketches to everyone he cares about." Kevin told her.

"Thanks Will. Just out of curiosity, what would happen if I said I didn't like it?" Veronica joked.

"It'd still be you but I'd feel like an idiot." Will said as they chuckled. "I'll see you guys later."

"Ok, I am definitely breaking that wolf." Veronica said as Kevin and Betty chuckled.

Line Break xxxxx

Will walked back into the school and was on his way to the art room to speak to Mr. Marks when he heard Archie speak. He listened and heard his voice coming from the music room. He walked over and saw Archie and Grundy talking about something and it seemed pretty serious. Will also noticed some kind of emotional connection between the two from their behavior towards one another and he couldn't pick up most of the conversation through the door.

"Will." Will heard as he turned and saw Josie walk up to him.

"Hey, Josie." Will replied.

"Look, I know it's kind of late notice, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind singing a song with us at the Semiformal tonight?" Josie asked.

"Sure, I'd love to. Can I ask why you asked me? You and the Pussycats already rock without me up there." Will said as she nodded.

"I know, but I thought we could do something faster and a little upbeat for the Semiformal and we all agreed we wanted to do that song you wrote two years ago." Josie said as Will tried to remember.

"Classic?" Will asked as Josie nodded. "I like where your head's at. Yeah, if you want me to."

"Great. We'll see you tonight." Josie said as Will nodded. He looked back in the room and Archie and Grundy were gone.

The day went on and since it was the first day of school it was only a half day, so Archie went to his football tryouts, Will talked to his teacher about what he needed for college, then decided to head to the gym to take some time drawing when he saw the River Vixens holding try outs and Betty and Veronica were there.

"We're blue and gold! We're dynamite! We'll take you down, and fight the fight!" Veronica and Betty cheered.

"Whoo! Go, Bulldogs!" Veronica shouted as they shook their pom-poms. Will chuckled as he began sketching the two in his book.

"Hmm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?" Cheryl asked.

"Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet." Veronica said as she pulled Betty in and kissed her as the boys' basketball team was freaking out while Cheryl and her squad looked unimpressed. Will chuckled as Betty saw him and blushed in embarrassment.

"Check your sell-by-date, ladies, faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994. So, let's see if you do better with the interview portion of our audition. Betty, how's your sister doing?" Cheryl asked.

Will kept sketching when he heard Cheryl's line of questioning and knew that it was part to get a rise out of Betty and part to see if she had the flair. Will noticed how tormented Betty was and decided to do something, so he got up and dropped his backpack really loudly on the bleachers, getting everyone's attention.

"Sorry, sorry! My fault." Will said as everyone looked at him. Will walked down the bleachers as he nodded to Betty who mouthed _thank you_. Veronica and Cheryl looked at Will, eyeing him up as he jumped from the bleachers and onto the ground.

"Very well, fine. If you two come packaged together, then Betty you're on the squad. But you better be ready to get with the program." Cheryl said as Betty and Veronica were gitty and got their River Vixen uniforms.

They left the gym as saw Will waiting outside with his sketchbook out. "Nicely done, you two. Two new River Vixens to the team and with an audition that people will be talking about for a long time." Will said as he showed them the sketch of the two kissing.

"You will destroy that now." Veronica said as Betty blushed.

"Nah, I think I'll hold onto it. You know, in case I need to hold something over you one day." Will joked as the three walked away.

"Oh, so the wolf is cunning as well. Nice." Veronica said.

"Veronica, why did you defend me? I mean, I know the kind of group you were with in New York." Betty said.

"When my father was arrest it was the worst thing ever. All these trolls started writing horrible things about us. We'd get letters and e-mails saying that my dad was a thief, my mom was a clueless socialite, and that I was a spoiled rich-bitch ice princess. And what hurt the most about it was the things the trolls were writing were true." Veronica said as Betty and Will looked at her. "I was like Cheryl. I was worse than Cheryl. So, when my mom said we were moving to Riverdale, I made a pact with myself to use this as an opportunity to become maybe, hopefully, a better version of myself."

"That's a lot of pressure." Betty replied. "When Polly and Jason got together…it meant everything to her and nothing to him. And…and things got super intense and weird and toxic and my mom turned on Polly. Said Polly wasn't her daughter anymore, said all these awful things to her. Jason hurt Polly, but it's my mom who broke her."

"Maybe not." Will said as Betty and Veronica looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Veronica asked.

"Betty, look I know you have a whole reason to hate Jason for what he did to Polly, but I don't think that's what happened." He told her.

"Will, you know-" "I know what your mother told me. But that's not it." Will said. "Look, Jason was my friend and despite what people say about Blossoms, he was a good guy. And I know Cheryl can be mean and toxic but the only reason she's like that is because of her situation at home."

"What situation?" Betty asked.

"Believe it or not, Betty, you and she aren't that different in this regard. Your parents can be…tough, but Cheryl's are worse. Ok, I've been there plenty of times to see how they treat Cheryl with disdain and treat her like the lesser twin. Jason was their world and they basically shunned Cheryl for not being a carbon copy of him. Her mean guise is just to protect herself." Will told him.

"How do you know?" Veronica asked as Will remembered his first interactions with Cheryl and Jason.

"Because I've known Cheryl since we were kids, just like Betty and Archie. But she's a nice person when you get underneath all that, even with over-bearing and psychotic parents like the Blossoms. But Jason loved Polly as much as she loved him. I saw them together plenty of times to know that and he even told me so. Jason would never hurt her." Will said as he saw Betty wasn't convinced. "Look, I don't know everything that happened, I wish I did because maybe I could have stopped it before it went to hell. But I know that there was more to the story then what we were told."

"I don't know, Will." Betty said as Veronica saw Archie running on the field.

"Archie! You are so doing this." She told Betty.

"What?" Betty asked.

"Slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one." Veronica told her.

"Hi, Teen Outlander." Veronica said.

"Hey. Nice outfits." Archie told them.

"Betty here has something she wants to ask you about the Back-to-School dance." Veronica said as Betty struggled to find the words. "Go on, Betty. Ask."

"I was wondering if you wanted to come…with both of us." Betty said.

"Huh?" "What?" Archie and Veronica asked.

"It's your first dance at Riverdale, you should have someone to go with. Even if it's just a friend." Betty said as Veronica looked at her when Will got an idea.

"Or…" Will said as he moved to Veronica's side and put arm around her. "We can make it a double date. Veronica and I and you and Archie."

"What?" Betty asked.

"Yeah, why not? What better way for Veronica to experience her first Riverdale dance then with three friends and a night of good music. This way it evens out. It'll be fun." Will said as Veronica realized what he was doing.

"Definitely. What do you say, Archie?" Veronica asked.

"I'm not in the headspace for a dance." Archie said as Betty nodded.

"Totally unacceptable, Archiekins. Will said it was to be a double date, not two girls double-teaming their date." Veronica said as Will chuckled. "I know what I said. Betty needs an escort. Take a break from being a tortured musical genius and come spend a blissful even with two newly-minted River Vixens, and they're tall dashing guard dog."

"Cute." Will replied. "Its either voluntary or I could drag you there. And you know I can."

"Ok. Yeah, ok." Archie said.

"Excellent, we'll text you with the time and place." Veronica said as Archie left, and Betty had the biggest smile on her face.

"One step at a time, Betty." Will said as she nodded and walked home. "Sorry for springing that on you last second. Seemed like a good idea."

"Not at all. Nice idea." Veronica said as she saw how happy Betty was. "It's a nice thing you're doing for Betty."

"Oh, I wasn't just doing it for her. Because that whole taking you the Semiformal is real." Will said as Veronica smirked.

"Really? Because I didn't hear you ask, it was more of a statement." Veronica said.

"Veronica Lodge, would you do this little guard dog the honor of taking you to your first Riverdale dance?" Will asked all dramatic as he bowed like a prince from a fairy tale.

"It would be my honor, William. I'll text you with the time and place, good sir." Veronica said as Will held her hand and kissed it like a gentleman.

"I eagerly await tonight." Will replied as he left, leaving Veronica a little blushed.

Will left school and drove back home. He parked in the driveway of his fairly large 2-story house. It was like the others in suburban Riverdale just a little fancier to show that Will's dad will well for himself. There were 5 bedrooms, well two being used, one guest, one was a spare studio and the last one a storage room at the moment. The kitchen was large and there was a studio on the first floor where Will's father did a lot of his work and a pool and hot tub in the backyard.

He walked in and saw his dad was in the kitchen working on some paperwork. "Hey, kiddo." John said as Will nodded. "How was your first day?"

"Uh…interesting to say the least." Will replied as John nodded.

"Really, same here. How's the school doing with Jason's death?" John asked as Will poured himself a cup of water.

"They're getting through it. Something tells me it's going to affect the entire school year." Will said as his dad pat his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Will. I know Jason was your friend." John said as Will nodded.

"Thanks, dad. I just can't believe he's really gone." Will said as John nodded.

"Gone but never forgotten." John said as Will nodded. "I was thinking of cooking my famous homemade pizza tonight if you're interested."

"Thanks, dad but I've got to take a raincheck. I'm heading to the dance tonight." Will said as John nodded.

"Right, right. Forgot that was tonight. So, who's the lucky lady you're going with?" John asked.

"I'm actually going on a double date with Archie and Betty." Will said as John nodded.

"Oh, good. It's about time those two got together." John replied as Will chuckled.

"That remains to be seen but not impossible." Will replied.

"And who are you going with?" John asked.

"New girl, Veronica Lodge." Will said as John heard the last name.

"Wait, did you say Lodge?" John asked as Will nodded.

"Yeah, she just moved her from New York." Will said. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that I know her mother." John told him.

"Seriously?" Will asked.

"Yeah, Hermione Lodge. We all went to Riverdale High together back in the day." John said.

"Whoa, what a coincidence. Oh, please tell me you two didn't date because I don't need that image in my head tonight." Will said as John chuckled.

"No, we were just friends. She and Fred dated though." John said as Will nodded.

"Hmm, who knew Mr. Andrews had it in him." Will replied as he put his glass in the sink.

"So, is this Veronica maybe the special zing you've been waiting for?" John asked, knowing his son's history with dating.

"Maybe." Will replied.

"You know, Will. I get wanting to find someone who's not going to abandon you, but you'll never figure that out if you don't give a girl the chance." John told him.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Will said as John nodded.

"Hey, when this girl sees the great guy you are, she'll never leave. I know it." John said as Will nodded.

"Thanks, Dad. Well, I'm going to get some sketching in before I need to get ready. How are we with the Chicago contract?" Will asked.

"Plans went through this morning. Only time will tell if we'll get it." John said as Will nodded and went to his room. John looked at an old family photo of Will's first birthday that showed him, Will, and Will's mother. "He doesn't deserve this torment."

Will entered his nice and spacious room and put his backpack on his queen size bed. His room was nice and open with the walls littered with posters of his favorite movies, bands, and framed cases of his drawings and designs. Several of them were of building plans he helped his dad with while the rest were of him and his friends. They're were sketches of when they were kids to now but there were two sketches that were separated from the rest, in a place above his bed. One was a copy of the picture John looked at downstairs while another was a portrait of the woman.

Will's gaze lingered at the picture before he finally tore his eyes away and turned on the TV. He sat at his desk and took out his sketchpad and began drawing whatever came into his head and at this moment, it was a picture of his friends.

Line Break xxxxx

Around 6pm, Will got dressed in a nice dark blue/navy jacket and pants with a white button up and tie and to finish off the outfit was a handkerchief in his pocket. Will adjusted his hair and collar as he looked in the mirror before heading out. He walked downstairs as his dad saw how sharp he looked.

"Whoa. What on earth happened to my son?" John asked.

"He's tied up in the closet upstairs. Figured, I'd give him the night off." Will said as he adjusted his jacket. "And take your advice."

"I'm glad. What brought on this change?" John asked.

"A few things. But I've got two more years left at Riverdale. Best make the most of them." Will said as his dad smiled. "Don't wait up for me."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" His dad shouted as Will got in his Impala and drove to pick up Archie. He drove outside of Archie's house and parked the car as Archie walked in in a tuxedo.

"Not bad. You clean up nice, Arch." Will said as Archie nodded.

"Thanks." Archie replied as he adjusted his jacket.

"It's takes some getting use to. But believe me, you'll be wearing them more than you think." Will said as they walked over to pick up Betty who came out wearing a beautiful pink dress. "Whoa, Betty. You look amazing."

"Thanks, Will." Betty said as they hugged, and she hugged Archie.

"Yeah, incredible." Archie told her.

"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." Betty replied.

"Well, let's pick up Veronica and we'll head to the dance." Will said as they got in his car, Will in the driver seat and Archie and Betty in the back. Will played some music and they kept talking to avoid any awkward silence but since they were all friends it wasn't that hard. Will stopped the Impala outside the Pembrooke. "Whoa. Nice."

"Guess Veronica and her mom are doing ok." Betty said as Will got out.

"I'll be right back." Will said as he walked into the hotel to see an elderly doorman.

"Good evening, how can I help you?" Smithers asked.

"I'm Will Detmer. I'm here to pick up Veronica Lodge." Will said.

"Oh, you must be the boy she hasn't stopped talking about." Smithers said.

"That's enough, Smithers." Veronica said as she walked out in a beautiful sleeveless dress.

"Of course, Ms. Lodge." Smithers said.

"Whoa, you look amazing." Will said as Veronica smiled.

"Thank you. And you clean up very nicely." Veronica replied.

"I've been known to have my moments. Your chariot awaits." Will said as he held his arm. She hooks his arm as they walked outside to his car.

"Whoa, talk about old school." Veronica said.

"Fully restored 1967 Chevrolet Impala. Don't worry, she doesn't bite." Will said as he opened the door for her.

"Oh, a gentleman." Veronica said as she got in. Will got in the driver's seat and drove to the school. The group walked arm and arm into the dance which was completely decorated with streamers, balloons, drapes, pictures of Jason Blossom as a memorial with the blaring sound of pop music and kids dancing.

"Well, it's not the MET Ball." Veronica said with her arm hooked with Will's.

"You'll find Riverdale has its own charm." Will told her.

Betty noticed Archie looking at the pictures of Jason on the ceiling. "Hey. When do you have to let Coach Clayton know about football?" She asked.

"This weekend." He replied.

"Guys, can't we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock/artist? Can't we, in this post James Franco world, be all things at once?" She asked as Betty and Will chuckled.

"I'm working on it, Veronica." Archie replied.

"Work a little faster." Will told him. "Veronica, shall we get some punch?"

"Excellent idea." She said as she and Will walked away but not before she turned to Betty and whispered, _"You got this."_

Will and Veronica walked over to the punch bowl and got a drink. "Cheers, to your first Riverdale dance and the hope that Betty gets Archie." Will said as Veronica smirked.

"Cheers." She said as she sipped their drinks and got the tail-tell signs of alcohol.

"And I know Mantle got into the punch already." Will say as Veronica chuckled and downed the whole thing. "Whoa, don't leave me behind."

Will finished his cup as they saw Betty by herself. He was about to walk over when he saw Kevin walk up to her. "Care to dance?" Will asked as he held his hand out and she nodded, taking his hand.

"Show me what you got, Detmer." Veronica said as they moved onto the dance floor and danced to the pop music that was blasting. Veronica and Will moved in tandem as both were pretty good dancers and Veronica was impressed. The songs kept playing as they saw Betty dancing with Kevin and they walked over, joining the two. They kept dancing when Will saw Josie on stage and she tapped her wrist, like a watch and he nodded.

"Hey guys, I've got something to do." Will told them.

"Something more important than keeping your date company?" Veronica asked.

"If things go well, she'll definitely be impressed and save a dance for me after. Kevin, take my place for a bit?" Will asked as he nodded. "I'll be back later, kids."

They watched him leave, heading to the stage as he passed Cheryl. "Willie, Josie told me you're gonna be singing up there." She said as he nodded.

"Don't worry. It'll be great. You'll love it and Jason would have loved it, too." Will told her as he kissed her on the cheek and quickly moved to the stage where he took off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up a bit as Josie handed him a spare electric guitar. "Awesome, you girls ready?"

"Definitely." Josie replied as Will smiled.

"All right. Let's do it." Will said as the music stopped and Cheryl stood on stage in front of Josie, Valerie, and Melody while Will waited to come out.

"Good evening, friends. Are you all having a good time?" Cheryl asked as everyone cheered. "As honorary chairperson and de facto queen of tonight's semiformal. It is my great pleasure to introduce this evening's main entertainment. To know them is to be obsessed with them. Though they usually perform their own material, tonight, they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night Jason and I were conceived."

Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Kevin looked at each other weird at that statement. "I give you Josie and the Pussycats!" Cheryl said as everyone cheered as Josie stood up to one of the microphones.

"And the surprises don't stop there tonight, because the Pussycats and I have a special guest who will be singing a little song for all of you. You all know this loyal, lovable guy so here he is, WILL DETMER!" Josie shouted as Will came on stage and everyone cheered. Kevin, Betty, Veronica and Archie cheered as Will stood at a microphone with his guitar ready as Josie stood in front of another one. He nodded to Josie, Valerie, and Melody and they got ready.

"Thank you. This song is dedicated to the ladies out here tonight, letting you know how amazing you all are. And to their dates, don't be assholes and treat them like you should." Will said as he took out his pick and looked behind him. **[Insert MKTO-Classic]**

 _ **Hey, where's the drum?**_

Melody then hit the drums in an awesome roll as Will and Josie began playing the guitars in an up-beat poppy tune as Valerie played along on her keyboards. Everyone cheered, and Will saw Veronica was shocked he could play the guitar as Will lean into the microphone.

 **Ooh, let's go!**

 **Ooh girl you're shining  
Like a 5th avenue diamond  
And they don't make you like they used to  
You're never going out of style**

 **Ooh pretty baby  
This world might have gone crazy  
The way you saved me,  
Who could blame me  
When I just wanna make you smile**

Everyone cheered as Will and Josie sang together and began clapping and dancing along as Will had them hooked on the awesome beat and his voice.

 **I wanna thrill you like Michael  
I wanna kiss you like Prince  
Let's get it on like Marvin Gaye  
Like Hathaway write a song for you like this**

 **You're over my head  
I'm out of my mind  
Thinking I was born in the wrong time  
One of a kind, living in a world gone plastic  
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)  
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)  
Baby you,  
Baby you're so classic**

Archie and his friends danced along as Will played his heart out, feeling it was second nature being on that stage as everyone in the gym was having the time of their lives with the song.

 **Four dozen of roses  
Anything for you to notice  
All the way to serenade you  
Doing it Sinatra style**

 **Ima pick you up in a Cadillac  
Like a gentleman bringin' glamor back  
Keep it real in the way I feel  
I could walk you down the aisle**

 **I wanna thrill you like Michael  
I wanna kiss you like Prince  
Let's get it on like Marvin Gaye  
Like Hathaway write a song for you like thisssssss**

 **You're over my head  
I'm out of my mind  
Thinking I was born in the wrong time  
Let's start the rewind, everything is so throwback age (I kinda like it like it)**

 **Out of my league  
Old school chic  
Like a movie star  
From the silver screen  
One of a kind living in a world gone plastic  
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)  
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)  
Baby you're so classic**

 **Baby you're class and baby you're sick  
I never met a girl like you ever til we met  
A star in the 40's, centerfold in the 50's  
Got me tripping out like the sixties (Ooooooohh)  
Hippies Queen of the discotheque  
A 70's dream and an 80's best (Aaaaaaahhh)  
Hepburn, Beyoncé, Marilyn Manson  
Girl you're timeless, just so classic**

 **You're over my head I'm out of my mind (Getting her out of mind)  
Thinking I was born in the wrong time  
Let's start the rewind, everything is so throwback age (I kinda like it like it)  
Out of my league  
Old school chic  
Like a movie star  
From the silver screen  
You're one of a kind living in a world gone plastic  
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)  
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)  
Baby you're so classic (Oooohhh) **

The song ended as everyone cheered their hearts out. Will smiled as he hugged Josie on an amazing song as everyone clapped and cheered his name. Will threw out kisses to the crowd as he saw how proud his friends look at his performance. He put the guitar away as he made his way off the stage, grabbed his jacket and joined his friends as other students cheered and congratulated him on an awesome performance.

Will made his way over to Archie and the others as Betty hugged him. "Will, that was amazing." Betty said as Archie hugged him next.

"Yeah, it was." Archie told him.

"The wolf continues to impress me." Veronica replied.

"Thanks, guys. And don't worry, Archie. You'll be up there sooner than you know it." Will told him as the Pussycats began playing the song dedicated to Jason and it was a slow one.

"Now, after that amazing performance, I do believe my date could use a dance. Shall we?" Veronica asked as she held her arm out.

"It would be my pleasure." Will said as he hooked her arm and the two slow-danced. Her arms made their way to his shoulders and Will's made their way to her waist and rested there. "So, how has the night been for you so far?"

"Not bad. I was beginning to think this small town was going to be a run of the mill quaint hamlet but its…shown some things to keep me interested. You were amazing up there, by the way." Veronica told him.

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it." Will said.

"So, who was the song for?" She asked.

"It wasn't for any particular girl." Will told her as they looked and saw Betty was still hesitating, so they mouthed her to get on with it.

"Really, a song like that about how amazing and classic women are doesn't just pop into your head one day. Who was the girl?" She asked.

"There was no girl. It was just something that's been in my head for a long time." Will told her.

"What was it?" She asked as Will hesitated.

"You don't want to know. Kind of heavy and we've just met." Will told her.

"Oh, now I need to know." Veronica said as she saw how uncomfortable Will was with the subject. "What's wrong?"

"Again, it's kind of sensitive. And I don't want to ruin how this evening is going." Will told her as she looked concern. "But I'll tell you one day."

"All right. I can agree to that for now. But don't think that lets you off the hook for now, Detmer. You owe me." She said.

"Of course. Whatever you need, whenever. Just know that my dad's a light sleeper." Will joked as she chuckled.

"That's not gonna happen this soon, Detmer. Get your mind out of the gutter." She said.

"Oh, I would never do that to a lady on a first date." Will told her as she chuckled.

"I know. Kevin told me about the girls you've been on dates with and how innocent they were." Veronica said as Will sighed.

"Geez, they must have told you everything." He replied as she chuckled.

"Just the good things. You're one of a kind, Will Detmer." She said as he smiled.

"As are you, Veronica Lodge." He replied as she stared into his eyes and they slowly leaned in to one another, their foreheads touching. She then leaned in and kissed him on the lips as he kissed back. It was a brief kiss and they quickly separated after. "I'm sorry. I'm usually never that forward on a first date."

"It's ok. I don't mind." She said as she leaned into him and they kept dancing. Cheryl watched Will and Veronica dancing and their lip lock, and a ping of jealousy ran through her. She also saw Archie and Betty and got an idea.

"Make sure those four come to my after party. I'm in the mood for fun." Cheryl said as they smiled.

Line Break xxxxx

Will and the gang were invited to the after party at Cheryl's house and despite how uncomfortable Betty and Archie were to one another, they all decided to go. Will drove them in his Impala and parked in the Thornhill driveway as they saw the party was in full swing. They all entered the mansion and saw their schoolmates either drinking their fill in alcohol or making out in seclusion. Will pocketed his keys as they joined the party and Will got a beer. They all sat on a couch and engaged in some easy chit-chat and laughter when Cheryl walked down the stairs of the mansion in that beautiful red dress she wore to the dance. She walked into the room everyone was in and as she walked by, she ran her hand along Will's shoulder, causing him to jump in shock.

Veronica and Betty looked at her as Will quickly adjusted himself and Cheryl just smiled but she winked at him.

"It's game time at Chez Blossom, kiddies. We're going old-school tonight. Seven Minutes in heaven. Who wants to tryst in the closet of love, first? My vote is A for Archie." Cheryl said as they all looked at him and he wasn't for it. "Anyone care to second it?"

"Wait, actually…" "Yes, Andrews! Yes." Reggie said, interrupting him.

"All right. Gather round, kids. Let's see who's riding the ginger stallion tonight." Cheryl said as she spun a beer bottle on the table. Everyone was curious and worried as the bottle spun around on the table when it slowed down and stopped between Betty and Veronica.

"Oh, no way!" Reggie said, laughing.

"Oh, crap." Will said to himself as Cheryl had somehow made her way behind him.

"It's clearly pointing to the new girl. This should be fun." Cheryl said.

"Um…I'm not doing this." Veronica told her.

"That's up to you. But, if you don't, house rules decree the hostess gets to take your turn." Cheryl said.

Will noticed the defeated and sad expression on her face and was about to intervene to try and stop it when Veronica spoke. "Ok, fine." She said as Cheryl smiled. She led them to the closet as Will held Betty's hand, gingerly as she tried to hold back tears.

"Willie, can I see you for a moment? I need your help with something." Cheryl said.

"Actually, I—ah." Will was caught off guard as Cheryl grabbed his arm and pulled him off the couch and away from Betty and the others. They made their way to another hallway as Cheryl pushed him against the wall and locked lips with him. Will froze for a second, then his body went on auto-pilot as he closed his eyes and returned the kiss. His hands made their way to her waist and held her close as her hands touches his shoulders, feeling his defined muscles as her hands made their way to his hair.

Will held her close as she moaned in the kiss and the intensity picked up when his brain rebooted, and he realized what was going and pulled away. "Cheryl, stop." Will told her as she whined.

"What's wrong? I've always wondered what kissing you would be like and now I finally know. Your lips are better than any drink or even a breath of fresh air." She said as he leaned in, to kiss him again but he stopped her.

"Cheryl, what are you doing?" He asked.

"Seems kind of obvious don't you think?" She asked. "I like you, and after seeing you kiss the new girl, I got jealous. And now I know why she kissed you…how about I make you forget her?"

"Cheryl, stop." Will told her as he held her back. "Look, I like you too but if this is how you wanted to show affection then you should know me better than to think this would work."

"Don't tell me you and Veronica are already an item after one night. Especially when she's with Archie right now doing god knows what." Cheryl said.

"What Veronica and I, are nothing but friends on a date and I'm not the guy who kisses another girl, even one he likes while that date is still happening. I'm sorry, Cheryl. Look, I get that you must be going through a lot and think this will help but it won't. The only way an alcohol induced whatever this was leading to ends, is with us both realizing that it was the wrong choice. If you really like me then you know me well enough to know how I would react, especially with how I told you I felt about the guys at school." Will said as he walked away, leaving Cheryl to her thoughts. He walked back into the room and saw Betty was gone.

"Will, dude how was Cher—" "Shut up, Reggie. Where's Betty?" Will asked.

"Uh, she left dude." Reggie told him.

"Crap." Will said as he ran out of the house and didn't see her around. "BETTY!"

Will got in his car and drove away, with the high beams on to see if he could find her and he found her walking down the road of Thornhill back to town. He stopped on the side of the road, got out of the car, and ran up to her.

"Betty, wait! It's too dangerous out here by yourself." Will said as he ran up to her and saw she was crying.

"It hurts so much." She said as Will held her close and she hugged him, burying her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry." Will said to her as he held her close as she cried her eyes out. He kissed her head as she let out everything she's been feeling tonight.

"Why? Why doesn't he like me…the way I like him?" Betty said as Will sighed.

"I don't know." Will said as he held her face and looked at her. "But he must be an idiot if he can't see what an amazing girl you are. If he can't see that…maybe he doesn't deserve you."

"I love him so much." Betty said as Will held her close.

"I know." Will said as he held his best friend as she cried her eyes out over a love lost.

Will put her in the car and drove her home. He hugged her goodbye and offered to stay with her for a while, but she wanted to be alone now. Will, not in a mood to head home, went to Pop's for a late-night snack. He walked into the diner and saw his best friend and surrogate little brother, Jughead Jones sitting at a table with a cup of coffee.

"Hey, Will." Pop said.

"Hey, Pops. Coffee, decaf?" Will asked as he nodded. Will walked over to Jughead and sat down across from him.

"Decaf coffee kind of negates the whole point of it." Jughead told him as Will smiled.

"Just need something to get the taste of alcohol out of my mouth." Will replied as Jughead smirked. "How you've been?"

"Good. Working on my novel and that editing software is a real-life saver." Jughead told him.

"Glad I could help. And I'd like to get a nice dedication when you publish it." Will said.

"Of course. To Will Detmer, who's software made my book what it was." Jughead said as Will chuckled. Pops came over with a cup of coffee as Will thanked him and took a sip. "Rough night?"

"What makes you say that?" Will asked.

"I know you well enough that you wouldn't come to Pops this late a night unless you needed to get something off your mind." Jughead said as he took a sip of coffee. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"Just some unfortunate incidents today. Betty, Cheryl, Archie." Will said as Jughead nodded. "Still haven't talked to him?"

"No. Not since he bailed on us 4th of July weekend." Jughead said.

"Hey, it wasn't so bad. We still had some fun." Will said as Jughead nodded. 4th of July weekend, they and Archie were supposed to go on a road trip, but Archie bailed at the last minute so instead they hung out at Will's house. Watched old movies, played video games, hung out like when they were kids.

"Yeah. Thanks for that. A week of your dad's homemade cuisine made up for it." Jughead said.

"Your more then welcome whenever you want, Jughead. Your family, so you don't need to thank me. I'm happy to do it." Will said as Jughead smirked.

"Right, forgot who I was talking to." Jughead replied.

"How's your dad?" Will asked.

"Same old. Drinks all night, does whatever he does during the day." Jughead told him as Will nodded.

"He trying to stay out of trouble?" Will asked.

"Trouble follows the Serpents wherever they go." Jughead told him.

"Hey, if you need anything, just ask." Will said as Jughead nodded. "Try not to stay up too late. I'll see you later."

"Bye." Jughead said as he continued working on his book. Will made his way home and when he entered his house, he saw his dad sleeping on the couch with Raiders of the Lost Ark playing on the TV.

Will chuckled as he turned off the TV as his dad woke up. "Will, hey. You got in kind of late." John said.

"Yeah, a lot happened tonight, and I went to Pops to clear my head." Will said as John nodded.

"Anything you want to talk about?" He asked.

"Tomorrow, right now I could do with some sleep." Will said as John nodded, and they went to bed. Will got out of his suit, got into his boxers, and crashed onto his bed and fell asleep. Little did he know that while he was sleeping, Kevin had found Jason Blossom's body washed up on shore in the woods with a bullet hole in his head. Jason's death was now being treated as a homicide and it would entrap the town until every single dark secret became known. And Will would need to do whatever it took to keep his friends safe and get to the truth.

Line Break xxxxx

 _I think many of us, maybe even the entire town had been hoping against hope that somehow Jason Blossom hadn't browned on July 4_ _th_ _. That'd we come to school Monday morning, and there Jason would be. Or that we'd see him and Cheryl at a booth at Pop's. But that was before the undeniable, irrevocable fact of his bloated, water-logged body, a corpse with a bullet hole in its forehead, and terrible secrets that can only be revealed by the cold, steel blade of a coroner's autopsy scalpel, or the telltale beating of a guilty heart._

Word of the discovery of Jason's body had spread through the town quicker than an influenza virus. It proved only two things: one, that Jason Blossom was murdered by someone in that week of July, and two, the killer was still out there. In a town this small, grudges and dislikes were enough to for people to begin speculating as to who could have killed Jason and for what reason. Was it an accident or was it personal?

The weekend Jason's body was found, Sheriff Keller made the rounds to everyone in town to figure out what could have happened. Will went over every single situation in his head to figure out what could have happened to his friend and who would want him dead. It was Sunday afternoon and Will was doing some training in the backyard against a training dummy. He was punching and kicking and after a few years of doing this, he was good at it.

"Ha! ARGH!" Will shouted as he punched the torso and raised his hand to block the arm before finally kicking it over. Will exhaled and controlled his breathing to calm down and put the dummy back where it was. He walked back inside the house and took off his fighting gloves and the tape that was wrapped around them while he got a bottle of water.

"Haven't seen you get a work out like that in a long time." John said as walked out of the studio.

"Yeah, just have a lot on my mind." Will replied as he drank some water.

"Yeah, I know it couldn't have been easy to see him like that." John said as Will nodded. "I talked to Keller, there's still no word about any lead on the killer. To be honest, in this town anyone with even a slight grudge or motive is a suspect."

"Does that even include us?" Will asked as John shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no ill will against the Blossoms and you and Jason were friends, but Keller will want to find out everything he can to help his investigation." Jason said.

"Is there anyway you can ask Keller for more details on what happened to Jason?" Will asked as John looked at him.

"Will, I don't think Keller is going to give anyone details on an active case." John said.

"I know, but can you try. I need to know what happened to Jason." Will said as John nodded.

"Don't get your hopes up." John told him as Will nodded. "Do you still have that taser in the glove box?"

"Yeah?" Will responded, remembering that his dad got him that taser if an extreme emergency situation ever happened. He had to get it registered with Sheriff Keller and it stayed in the glove box.

"Good. Look, I know how it sounds and believe me I don't like it…but until the killer is caught, make sure it's close." John told him. "I don't want you to end up like Jason."

"Yeah, ok." Will replied, not wanting to argue with his dad about how serious he sounded. "I'm going to head for a run, finish my training then come back."

"Be careful and take the taser with you." John told him as Will sighed. He saw Will leave when he got a text on his phone and grimaced at the message. _We need to talk. Meet me tomorrow where you proposed. -R_

Will put on a zip-up sweatshirt, tucked the taser in his pocket and went for a run through town. He ran through the suburban streets and even ran past the school and somehow made his way through to the shopping and restaurant area where there were fewer families out tonight, given what happened. Will stopped at a red light as he took a breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Will?" Will heard as he turned to see Veronica carrying some grocery bags.

"Veronica…. hey." Will replied, a little awkward since they haven't really spoke after Cheryl's party.

"Hey. What, uh…. what brings you here?" She asked.

"Running. Sunday, figured I'd get some exercise in." Will replied as she nodded, also feeling a bit awkward about what to do.

"Well…I'll uh, see you tomorrow." She said as Will sighed.

"Wait." He said, stopping her from leaving. "How about I walk you home? It's not a good idea to be out by yourself."

"I'd like that." She said with a small smile as the two walked down the streets together as Will held the bags. They walked for a few seconds in uncomfortable silence before Veronica finally spoke. "So, we haven't really talked since that night."

"Yeah, sorry. Just a lot on my mind at the moment." Will said as Veronica nodded.

"I know Jason was your friend. I'm sorry." Veronica told him as Will managed a small smile.

"You know, part of me kept hoping that Jason got pulled by the current and was somewhere else. Maybe in some crazy scheme to get away from Riverdale or he has amnesia and was picked up in another county. Just didn't think I'd see him shot in the head." Will said as Veronica gingerly held his hand.

"Yeah, this weekend was an eye opener in a lot of ways." Veronica said as she took a breath. "Look, Will about what happened with me and Archie—"

"It's ok, you don't need to justify yourself to me." Will said before she could finish. "It was just a date. It wasn't like we were going steady."

"No. I was with you that night, and…we had a moment. Then I kiss a guy I know even less than I know you at a party. It was a total Queen bitch move, something the older me would have done and I'm sorry." Veronica said.

"Apology accepted. Besides, I'm not really one to hold a grudge against a beautiful girl." Will said as she blushed. "But, I think it might be a good idea to just keep things as friends for now."

"I'd like that." Veronica said as they arrived at the Pembrooke. "Well, this is me. I'm sorry, again, Will."'

"And again, apology accepted. But now you need to focus on Betty." Will told her as she nodded.

"I'll make it right to her." She replied as Will handed her the bags and leaned in but stopped himself.

"Sorry, usually I would say goodbye with a hug but I'm kind of sweaty and it might not be a good idea. So, awkward wave goodbye." Will joked as he waved goodbye and continued his run as Veronica smiled, watching him run away.

"You continue to surprise me, Will Detmer." She said as she walked inside.

Will ran back home but stopped by Betty's first to see how she was doing. Will knocked on the door and Betty's mom, Alice opened it. "Will, I didn't expect to see you here." Alice said.

"Yeah, sorry. I was out for a run and wanted to check on Betty. Is that all right?" Will asked as she smiled.

"Of course, you're always welcome here." She said as Will walked in and she closed the door behind her. "I'm always going to be grateful for how you've looked after Betty, Will. Riverdale doesn't deserve someone like you."

"Maybe, but it needs me. How's Polly?" Will asked as Alice sighed.

"She's fine. She's still getting help." Alice said as Will nodded. "I know you want to visit her, but she needs some time to herself first."

"Of course. If you still have the address, I'd like you to send some pictures to her. Something to cheer her up." He said as Alice kept a smile on her face.

"Of course. Now, Betty's upstairs. Would you like to stay for dinner?" She asked.

"No, my dad's making his homemade Carbonaro and I've earned eating that tonight." Will joked as he walked upstairs. He slowly opened Betty's door and saw her sitting on her bed, doing homework. "Hey, beautiful."

"Hey, Will." She said as she walked over to hug him, but he stopped her.

"Eh, you might not want to do that. I'm kind of sweaty." He said as she nodded.

"Thanks." She said.

"How are you? I know you don't want to hear this, but I just wanted to check in." Will said as she smiled.

"And that's sweet, Will. But I'm fine now, really." Betty said as she sighed. Will walked over and sat down next to her.

"I really wish things could have worked out for you. I'm sorry, Betty." Will said as he held her hand and she leaned him, resting her head on his shoulder. "But it's his lost."

"You keep saying that." Betty told him.

"And it's true. Betty, you are an amazing woman and you deserve the best. And when the right guy sees that, if it's Archie or if it's some kind-hearted billionaire philanthropist in New York you'll meet on a whim, he'll never let go." He said as Betty chuckled and smiled.

"I think that's more your fantasy." She replied.

"Hey, there are probably some kind-hearted rich people out there looking for love. What's wrong with hoping?" Will asked as they chuckled. "Just, don't give up. A heart that's been broke is also a heart that's been loved."

She chuckled. "Thanks, Will." She said as he smiled and kissed her head, like an older brother would, comforting her. "How come you haven't found the perfect girl yet?"

"Maybe it's not going to happen. Or she'll leave me once things get serious." He told her as she looked at him.

"Will, you know someone who never do that to you. I haven't, Archie hasn't, Jughead hasn't, Kevin hasn't, and even Cheryl hasn't. You've got to stop torturing yourself over this." Betty told him.

"It's a lot easier said than done, Betty." Will said as he sighed. "She still out there somewhere and she left because she had no reason to stick around."

"Well, I think she was dead wrong and if she could see you know, she would know she made a huge mistake." Betty said as Will smiled at her. "I'm always here for you."

"Likewise." He said as he hugged her. "I'll see you tomorrow. Want me to pick you up?"

"No. I'm going to walk tomorrow." She said as he nodded and left.

Line Break xxxxx

Monday came along, and the discovery of Jason's body loomed over all of Riverdale, especially at Riverdale High. Students had left flowers and cards by Jason's locker and a memorial was set up in the display case where his picture was. Will was dressed in his usual outfit of jeans, denim long sleeve, his jacket/hoodie, and his necklace as he walked over to Jason's locker and placed an old photo of the two of them from when they were kids.

"Sorry, Jason." Will said as Archie saw him put the picture there.

"Hey." Jughead said as he joined them. "Do you think I can use Jason Blossom's death as an excuse to get out of PE? Sorry Coach, I'm just too depressed and freaked-out right now to do pull-ups."

"Don't joke about Jason Blossom." Archie told him.

"What? Sardonic humor is just how I relate to the world." Jughead said.

"Then a lot of kids would be using that excuse for this week, Jug." Will told him as Jughead saw Reggie and his friends.

"Egh, look. It's the rich kids from the Goonies. All right, I'm out." Jughead said as he left when Reggie bumped him.

"Watch it, Wednesday Adams." He said as Will just shook his head and walked to his locker to get his stuff. He finished at his locker when the intercom system went off.

" _Good morning, students. This is your principal speaking. There have been many inquires about the upcoming pep rally. So, let me state clearly it is happening, as scheduled. Now, on a less felicitous note, if you could give your attention to Sheriff Keller."_ Principal Weatherbee said.

" _Many of you already know the details, but your classmate Jason Blossom's body was found late Saturday night. So as of the weekend, Jason's death is now being treated as a homicide. It is an open and ongoing investigation."_ Keller said.

" _And may I interject, neither I nor my parents will rest until Jason's death is avenged, and his cold-hearted killer is walking the green mile to sit in Old Sparky and fry. I, for one, have my suspicions. #Riverdale strong."_ Cheryl said as Will sighed.

"Oh, Cheryl." Will said.

" _If you know anything that could help us find and apprehend Jason's killer, or anything about what happened to him on July 4_ _th_ _, I strongly urge you to come forward immediately. You can speak with me or with Principal Weatherbee. A death like this, wounds us all. Let's not let Jason down."_ Sheriff Keller said.

After hearing the announcement, Archie splashed himself with water from a fountain. "Archie." He heard as he turned to see Jughead.

"Weirdest thing. This summer, the two of us and Will were supposed to go on a road trip over July 4th weekend. Which you bailed on at the last minute. Is there something you want to tell me, pal?" Jughead asked.

"No." He said as he left.

Classes went on as Will made his way to his third period Biology class, one of the few that all grades shared. He walked in and saw Jughead sitting at a table, Archie in the back, and Cheryl being questioned by her two friends: Tina Patel and Ginger Lopez.

"We were wondering, Cheryl. Back in July, you told the po-po that Jason drowned." Tina said.

"Yet, we come to find out that Jason didn't drown. He was shot. That's slightly suspicious, no?" Ginger asked.

"Are you living mannequins suggesting that I had something to do with my brother's death?" She asked.

"They're not." They heard as they saw Will walk up to them. "They're just being over inquisitive. Go on, get."

They got off the table as Will sat down next to her. "Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked.

"No, go ahead." She said as he sat down.

"I wanted to talk to you about Jason. I'm sorry." Will told her as he held her hand she squeezed it.

Her face softened, and her dark brown eyes filled with pain and sadness. "Jason was the best…" She said.

"If you need anything…" "That's sweet, Willie. But unless you were at Sweetwater River and know who shot Jason…" Cheryl asked.

"I don't. I'm sorry. But I also wanted to apologize for how I acted at the party." Will said as he sighed. "I didn't mean to come at you like that. I was out of line."

"It's ok." She said as Will held her hand.

"Cheryl, it's not that I don't like you. I've known you for years and I care about you, but you should know me well enough that coming onto me at a party and trying to get me to bed isn't the way." Will said as she looked at him. "Your amazing and don't sell yourself short by doing something like that."

Cheryl smiled as she looked at Will and saw how much she cared about him. "Anyway, I'm good at biology so I can take the lead on this if you don't want to." He told her, pointing to the dead frog

"Oh, you mean because my brother's being dissected with a blade like this one, probably right at this very moment? Don't worry, I'm fine. In fact," She said as he picked up the scalpel and stabbed it in the frog, slicing along it's stomach. "I'm amazing."

"Hey." He said as he held her hand with the scalpel in it. "We're gonna find who killed Jason. I promise you that…and I always keep my promises."

"I have some ideas on who the killer is." She said as Will knew who she meant.

"It's not Polly, Cheryl." Will told her.

"She's the only one with motive." She told him.

"And she was taken away to get some help on 4th of July the same time you two were on the boat. Look, I know that you have this anger inside of you and you just want it to end but blaming anyone isn't going to make it go away." He said as he realized he use to act like that.

"Jason deserves justice." She said as he nodded.

"And he will. But Polly and Betty had nothing to do with his death. Believe me, if they did I would be the first person to notice something odd going on. They're just two girls caught in the middle of a family squabble. They don't deserve any of it nor do you. Hell, you two could be friends if you gave it a chance." Will said as she looked at him. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." She said as Will smiled.

"Then believe me. We will find out who killed him, I promise you and like you said, they'll take the green mile." He said as she managed to crack a small smile. "Good. A beautiful face like yours shouldn't have anything but a smile on it.

He got to work on the assignment as she blushed and looked at Will. How could someone this perfect be sitting right next to her?

While Will went to class, his dad was dealing with his own drama. He was at one of the nicest restaurants in Riverdale, _Table Salts_. It was a modern twist on European cuisines with a focus on French and Italian. Every weekend it was always crowded with a nice bar where the older of Riverdale often went to.

John sat at the bar with a glass of whiskey in his hands as he waited for the person he was meeting, with smooth jazz playing in the restaurant. Then a blonde 40-year-old woman joined him, sitting right next to him. It was Rosaline Detmer, John's wife, and Will's mother. The one who left when Will was 2.

"Johnathan." She said as she sat down and noticed he still had his wedding ring. "You're wearing your wedding ring."

"Divorce men take them off. Widowers don't." he said as he pulled out an envelope filled with money and put it on the table. "I need you to leave town."

"And you thought you could pay me to walk away from my own son?" Rosaline asked.

"Last time, you walked away for free." He told her as she placed the money in front of him.

"No amount of money is going to keep me away from William." She said.

"It has been 16 years, Rosaline. Why did you show up now?" He asked.

"Now, I'm different. Now, I'm ready." She said, pleading with John.

"No. Now you're too late. Will is fine without you." He told her.

"You've done— "John flinched away from her when she tried to touch him, so she pulled away. "You've done a wonderful job, John. Better then I ever could, but Will needs his mother. Especially now with losing a friend…a loved one. That's not something you get over quickly. I would know."

"Would you?" He asked as he handed her the money. "You have 48 hours to leave Riverdale."

"I'm not going anywhere." She said as John left.

Lunch time came at Riverdale High as Will had some stuff to do during lunch and texted Betty saying to eat without him. He was in the art room talking to Mr. Marks about all the design and Art schools that apparently had contacted the school and sent brochures and pamphlets specifically for him. A small-town kid who helps design buildings for one of the most prominent designers on the East coast gets attention.

If Will kept up his grades and scored a minimum of 1450 on his SATs, he'd be able to get a scholarship to any of the Art schools. But he'd have to go through some interviews at the school and submit an art portfolio as well, but he wasn't that worried about that part. He was walking through the school when he saw Archie heading somewhere in a hurry.

"What the hell is going on?" Will asked as he followed Archie and saw him head into the music room.

"Will?" Jughead called to him as Will motioned him to keep quiet. Will and Jughead walked forward and they saw Archie and Ms. Grundy talking and then she held his hand, tenderly. She held his hands and closed in and looked like she would kiss him, or at the very least they were together.

"What the hell are you doing, Archie?" Will asked as he took out his phone and took a picture.

"This explains a lot." Jughead said as they left.

"All right, we're not going to the Principal yet because if we do then Archie's screwed." Will told him as Jughead nodded.

"Then what do we do?" Jughead asked.

"I'll talk to Grundy. You talk to Archie." Will said as he saw how Jughead wasn't happy about that. "I know what's going on, but this could explain a lot. Just figure out what's going on and I'll do my part."

"All right." Jughead said as he left.

Will went through the rest of his classes, but the thought of Archie and Grundy was still on his mind. What if that was the reason Archie was acting so weird this summer? Why he didn't come with them on the 4th of July. How deep did Grundy have her hooks in?

After school, Archie went to football and Betty and Veronica went to River Vixen practice. Will was going to check up on Betty at River Vixen practice, but he'd stop to speak to Grundy first. He walked over to the music room and saw her practicing and opened the door.

"Ms. Grundy?" Will asked.

"Yes, Will?" She asked.

"Can I ask you some quick questions? I was thinking about maybe going to Art school after college and music could blend into that so I was hoping to talk to you." He said, as a ruse.

"Sure, come in." She said as Will walked in then closed and locked the door behind him. "Why did you lock the door?"

"Because we need to have a private conversation." Will told her in a serious tone.

"Ok, but you don't need to lock the door?" She said as Will took out his phone and showed her the picture of her and Archie.

"I don't want anyone walking in when we're talking about this?" He told her as she saw the photo. "I have noticed Archie was acting a little strange lately and to be honest I thought it was something at home but now I know it's you."

"Will…" "You listen, I'll talk." Will told her, getting her to shut up. "When you first came to Riverdale last year you turned a lot of heads here. I guess that made it easier for you to pick which student you liked the most."

"Will, I never…" "What did I say about talking?" Will told her as she shut up again.

"If it were up to me, I'd show this to Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller now and have you in cuffs. But if I do that, Archie also gets thrown under the bus. So, let me make this absolutely clear to you now. If I ever see you and Archie together again, or if you sink your claws into any other kid here at Riverdale high, then I'll go straight to the Principal and the Sheriff and have you hauled out of here for everyone to see. Or I could always go to the Riverdale Register. I've known the Coopers for years and I'm sure they'd love a scoop like that. If you touch any student here at Riverdale High, they'll known the truth about you, and I'm sure the idea of having a pedophile in Riverdale won't sit well with anyone." Will told her as she nodded. "It's your only warning. I suggest you take it."

Will left shortly afterward and went to the gym to try and get his mind off it. He saw the River Vixens practice and Cheryl lecturing them about the Pep Rally and their performance. She left to make a call and he saw Betty and Veronica talking to one another and it was beginning to get heated, so Will stepped in.

"Easy, girls. Easy." Will told them, getting them to stop. "Let's not make a scene."

"No, I want to make a scene" Betty said as she tried to get past him, but Will held the two back.

"Easy, easy." Will said as he had Betty look at her. "Easy, Betty. This won't change anything."

"The Pussycats are in." Cheryl said as she butt into their conversation. Oh, sorry, everyone am I interrupting?"

"As a matter of fact—" "No, you're not." Betty said. "Actually, I was just coming to find you, Cheryl. I have a gift certificate for hers-and-hers mani-pedis and blowouts at Chez Salon. Do you want to come with me?"

"Don't do this." Veronica told her.

"Butt out, closet monster. You have forfeited your right to take the high and mighty road. As pour moi, Betty, but of course. I never say no to a pedi." She said as Will looked at her.

"Um, Cheryl, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked as she happily nodded.

"Of course. Betty, we'll leave in a bit." She said as she and Will moved over to the bleachers to talk.

"Cheryl, what are you doing?" Will asked.

"Nothing, just going to set up some girl time with Betty." Cheryl said.

"Really, Betty whom you barely tolerate your entire life. Cheryl, if this is about Polly, she didn't kill Jason. Believe me, I've known Polly a long time and she's not the girl who could do something like that to Jason." Will told her as she just kept a straight face.

"We'll see. Betty, come on." Cheryl said as she and Betty left leaving Will with a migraine.

"When did things get so complicated?" He said to himself as he decided to head to Andrew's construction to work his shift. He often worked there the seasons he didn't have Soccer or Baseball as a way to keep in shape and give Mr. Andrews help whenever he needed it.

After work, his dad texted him saying he sent in an order to Pop's for dinner, so Will would pick it up on the way home. Will drove his Impala to the diner and parked in the parking lot. He got out, dressed in his jeans and his denim button up was open to show his tank top underneath and his sleeves were rolled up. His hair was a bit messy, but it added to his overall charm as he walked in and saw Veronica sitting at the counter speaking to a woman who looked a lot like her, just older. Will figured it was her mother.

"Hey, Will." Veronica said.

"Hey, Ronnie." Will said as he walked in as Hermione saw the small blush Veronica had on her face.

"And who might this dashing heartbreaker be?" Hermione asked.

"I'm Will Detmer. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Lodge." Will said as he shook her hand as she smiled.

"Hermione, please. Oh, you must be John's son. My god you look just like him when he was your age." She said as Will smiled. "He always had the ladies after him. How's Rosaline?"

Veronica then noticed how uncomfortable Will was with the question. "She uh…passed away when I was two." He told her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Hermione said as Will nodded.

"I'm picking up an order." He said as she nodded.

"I'll see you at home, Mom." Veronica said.

"Uh, wait. I'm sure Will would happily escort you home. I mean, you two went to the dance, a simple car ride home should be fine." Hermione said as she handed Will his order.

"Yeah, if your up to it. What are friends for." Will said as she smiled.

"Ok." Veronica said as they walked outside and got in Will's car and Will drove her home.

"I'm guessing things aren't better with Betty?" Will asked.

"I'm back to being the shallow toxic rich bitch who ruins everything in her path. Which is unfortunate, because even though I only just met Betty, it really felt like we were meant to be best friends. Like…like it was our destiny, and now…it's like there was this train that was heading to the rest of my life and I just missed it." She said.

"If its any consolation, I've known Betty her entire life. Hell, I've looked after her since she could walk." Will said as Veronica looked at him. "And she's never been one to hold a grudge. And I saw how well you two got to know one another on the first day. Just give her time. Don't despair, something tells me your time with Betty isn't over."

"I hope your right." She replied.

"I usually am. I know, Betty. You were sincere about wanting to be different, and I think she knows that. This just was a big moment she's been waiting for." Will told her. "How's your mom adjusting to everything here?"

"She's doing her best. Working at Pop's isn't what she envisioned herself doing." She said as she looked at him. "I'm sorry about my mom. I didn't know about your mother."

"It's ok, you couldn't have known." Will told her as they drove through town.

"Were you close to her?" Veronica asked.

"I don't remember. She died when I was two. I barely have any memories of her." Will said as Veronica noticed the sadness in his voice. "But it was fine. I had my dad and he's amazing. I wouldn't the man I am now if it wasn't for him."

"And after meeting you, he sounds too good to be true." Veronica said as Will smiled.

"Play your cards right and it'll happen on a night he makes some homemade cuisine." Will said.

"Your dad's a cook?" She asked.

"The best in Riverdale. We have people over often for dinners." Will said as they arrived at the Pembrooke.

"Well, I look forward to that day. See you tomorrow." She said as she got out. She smiled and waved at him as Will waved back and drove home.

Will walked in and saw his dad sitting at the kitchen counter with a glass of whiskey in his hand, but it was full. "Dad, you ok?" Will asked as John looked at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" John asked.

"Because you're nursing a glass of whiskey on a weekday. I've never seen that before." Will said as John nodded.

"Yeah, it's just uh…a lot on my head." John said as he decided to dump the whisky in the sink.

"Everything ok?" Will asked as he put the food on the table.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Will. Don't worry." John said as they took out their burgers. "Oh, it's been a while since I've had a Pop's burger.

"Yeah. Not that I mind eating Pop's, but we usually eat this on the weekend. Are you sure everything's ok?" Will asked as John smiled.

"I'm sure. Everything's fine, Will. Don't worry." John told him as Will nodded and they ate dinner.

Line Break xxxxx

The week went on as Sheriff Keller continued with his investigation and began interviewing students at Riverdale High for possible motive or any insight into the case. Betty and Archie still weren't speaking and Jughead told Will that he and Grundy were at Sweetwater River the day Jason got killed and heard a gunshot, possibly the one that killed Jason Blossom. Archie said he liked her and she told him not to say anything about the gunshot they heard. And Archie was too blind to see that Grundy was just trying to protect herself and Will couldn't do anything because it would implicate Archie. He'd need to figure out a plan.

It was Friday, the day of the big game and Pep Rally as Will and Jughead were in the student lounge with everyone else as Mantle told them Sheriff Keller grilled him about Jason's death.

"And Sheriff Keller's grilling me, Mantle the Magnificent. Because I want Blossom dead. When he was, like, the only good quarterback we had. And speaking of offensive tight-ends, I should've sent the cops to you, Moose. Because here's another unsolved mystery. What exactly were you and Kevin doing at the river, huh? Or does being the sheriff's son give you a free pass, Keller?" Mantle asked.

"Reggie's just being a blowhard, Kev." Betty told him.

"I don't care what he says." Kevin replied.

"I mean, let's think about it. If a kid at Riverdale killed Jason, it's not gonna be a jock, right? Now let's be honest. Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic Internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid? Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak…like Jughead?" Mantle said as Will growled and put his sketchbook down which Kevin and Betty noticed.

"Will, don't do anything stupid." Betty told him.

"What was it like, Suicide Squad? When you shot Jason? You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? Like…after?" Mantle asked.

"It's called necrophilia, Reggie, can you spell it?" Jughead replied.

"Come here, you little…" Mantle shouted as he jumped over the couch, but Will got up and pushed Reggie back before Archie could.

"Back off, Mantle." Will warned him as everyone got up.

"What do you care, Detmer?" Mantle asked.

"Back off, Mantle. I'm not going to ask again." Will told him as he clenched his fist.

"Will, easy." Jughead told him.

"Holy crap. Did you and Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brother thing?" Mantle asked. "Or maybe you did it? Jealous of Jason or maybe your dead mommy told you to do it, Norman Bates?"

That was the final straw as Will socked Mantle across the face with a sucker punch, knocking him back. Mantle tackled Will into a vending machine, causing the glass to break as Reggie tried to take him to the ground but Will kneed him in the gut three times before throwing him over his hip and onto the ground. Will got on top of him and began punching him across the face as Jughead, Moose, and Archie tried to pull him.

"Will, enough!" Jughead shouted trying to get him off but Will pushed them back.

"Will, stop!" Betty shouted as Will finally stopped after the seventh punch. Will's knuckles were bruised, and Reggie had a bloody mouth and most likely a broken nose as Will's breathing got heavy, overcome with anger. He looked at his hands and at everyone before pulling Mantle's head up.

"Say anything like that about my mother again, you'll find it hard to play football with a broken leg." Will warned him as he socked him across the face one more time and knocked him out. Will got up, grabbed his bag, and left leaving everyone froze in shock after what they just witness.

"Whoa, wasn't expecting that." Veronica said as Moose and Chuck got Reggie to the nurse's office. Will went to the bathroom to rinse the blood off his fist, showing the new bruises and cuts he had now. Afterward, Will went to the Principal's office, knowing he would get called so he decided to head their first.

He sat in a chair in the Principal's office as Principal Weatherbee looked at him, having been told what happens from the nurse. "Mr. Detmer, you and Mr. Mantle had an altercation that resulted in him being sent the nurse's office. Now, I've been told that Mr. Mantle started the conflict but that doesn't justify what you did." He told him.

"I know, Principal Weatherbee. I know. Once he mentioned my mother the dam broke." Will said as Principal Weatherbee nodded. He was one a few adults who knew the truth about Will's mother. "But I'll take my punishment."

"6 weeks of detention." Principal Weatherbee said as Will nodded. "Now go head to the nurse and have her look at that hand."

Will went to the nurse's office who gave him a roll of bandages and some ointment and stuck him outside on the bench because she was tending to Mantle. Will sat on the bench in the hallway as he dabbed the bruises and cuts on his knuckles with the ointment.

"Damnit." Will said as it stung a bit as he dabbed his knuckles.

"Will?" Will heard as he saw Cheryl in the hall. She looked down and saw the bandages and Will's bruised and bloody knuckles. "Oh my god! What happened?!"

"Nothing. It was nothing." Will said as he hid his hand, but she ran over and pulled his hand to see the bruises.

"This doesn't look like nothing." She said as she sat down next to him. "Who did this?"

"It was me. Mantle pushed my buttons today and that earned him a beating." Will told her.

"Oh, Will." Cheryl said as she took the ointment and dapped it on his knuckles with a cotton swab.

"Ah." Will said as it stung a bit. "Maybe I should just wait for the nurse."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Cheryl said as she dabbed the bruises. "Some of the River Vixens have had some nasty falls and I've helped. This is a piece of cake compared to that."

"I must be seeing things because Cheryl Blossom is going out of her way to help me." Will said as Cheryl pressed hard onto his knuckles causing him to jump in shock. "Ow."

"Don't forget I have your hand here." She said as Will held her hand.

"Thank you." He told her as she smiled.

"You've helped me and Jason so many times, this is the least I can do." Cheryl said as she finished cleaning his bruises and then began wrapping his hand with the roll of bandages. "So, what did Mantle do or bring up to warrant one of Will Detmer's famous beatings? You don't go out picking fights."

"My mother." Will said as Cheryl looked at him. She was one of the few friends who knew the truth about his mother because he told her. "Once he mentioned her everything went out the window."

"I'm sorry, Will." Cheryl said as she wrapped her hand with the bandages. "You know, my offer still stands to help find her. My parents have a lot of connections, I'm sure we can do something."

"It's ok, Cheryl. You don't need to do that. Besides, you have enough on your plate as is." Will told her. "I don't want to go peeking down the rabbit hole."

Cheryl looked at Will and saw how the usually chipper and smiling Will was actually vulnerable and sad. "Anyway, enough about me. How have you been doing?"

"I'm fine." Cheryl said as Will saw past that.

"You don't need to lie to me, Cheryl." Will told her.

"Things at home…haven't been great. I miss him so much." She said as he nodded.

"I know. And I know how badly you want to find out who killed him, and I promise you we will." Will told her as she smiled and finished wrapping his hand. "But if you ever need anything, anything at all, just ask. And my doors always open. I think my dad's starting to miss how much you and Jason use to come over?"

"I don't think so." Cheryl replied.

"No, he is. He told me over the summer, where is that young red-head that spoke her mind? Spunk like that is hard to find here." Will joked as he and Cheryl chuckled.

"How can a guy like you exist in Riverdale?" Cheryl asked as Will smiled.

"I'm just that unique. And I like to think that Riverdale deserves me…and I'm not leaving anytime soon." He said as Cheryl smiled. Veronica was walking down the hall to check on Will and saw him and Cheryl talking on the bench, both very close to one another. She saw them talking and how close Cheryl was to him and a ping of jealousy ran through her. Before she could do anything, the bell rang, and students began pouring into the hallway to head to their next class.

Classes went on as usual and at the end of the day, Will walked through the halls with Cheryl as he was going to meet with Jughead and Betty. He saw them up head along with Archie and Veronica before they would all separated to go head to football or River Vixen practice.

"Mr. Detmer!" Will heard as he turned and saw Principal Weatherbee in the hall. "There's someone here to see you."

"Who is it?" Jughead asked.

"No idea." Will replied as said person stepped out into the hall in clear view of Will and his friends. Will froze as he dropped his sketchpad on the floor. Betty, Jughead, Archie, and Cheryl looked in the direction Will was looking and they all froze in shock.

"Oh my god." Betty and Archie said as Veronica was confused.

"What's going on? Who is that woman?" Veronica asked.

"That's Rosaline Detmer." Archie told her.

"Detmer?" Veronica asked.

"Hi, William." Rosaline said as Will slowly stepped forward.

"Mom?" Will asked.

 **End of Chapter 1**

 **And that's chapter 1. It was just a test for how I want to approach the story since I've never done one like this. My stories have been more action orientated but Riverdale was interesting, and it seemed like a fun challenge so tell me what you guys think. Again, it was really just the first 2 episodes, so nothing has happened yet.**

 **OC Characters:**

 **Will Detmer:** Steven R. McQueen

 **John Detmer:** Sam Worthington

 **Rosaline Detmer:** Leslie Mann

 **Next chapter, new discoveries into Jason Blossom's death have Will and his friends playing detective and more secrets in Riverdale rise to the surface. And Will has to juggle that with the newfound drama in his life with the return of his mother and someone he didn't know even existed.**

 **The pairing is till up for debate so if you guys have any ideas on who Will should be paired with, please vote in the poll. I'll be up for a while so please vote on your two choices and that'll help me choose because I've basically come up with a way that Will can end up with Betty, Veronica, or Cheryl and they all work so now it's just time to choose and your votes would help a lot.**

 **Till next time!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Riverdale or any properties, songs, or such that were used in this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is Chapter 2 of The Gang plus 1. The people of Riverdale learn details about Jason Blossom's murder that brings up a lot of dark secrets in Riverdale and Will and his friends try to get to the bottom of all of it. Not to mention that Will has to deal with his own issues at home with the sudden reappearance of his mother. Enjoy!**

 **Discovery and Body Double**

Will was frozen in the halls as he saw his mother for the first time in 16 years, standing there in the halls of Riverdale High. She looked just like he remembered her or from the limited pictures in their home. Archie and the others saw her and also noticed Will wasn't moving, probably too frozen in shock.

"Will?" Cheryl called his name.

"Wha…what?" Will barely managed to get out a few words as Rosaline smiled at him.

"You've grown up so much. I missed you." She said as she walked forward but Will backed up.

"No, stay away." Will told her.

"Will, take it easy." Betty told him.

"William…I know—""Stay back. I've been fine without you for 16 years. I don't need to dredge this back up!" Will shouted as he left and ran in the other direction.

"Will!" Jughead shouted as he grabbed Will's sketchbook and chased after him followed by Betty, Archie, Cheryl and then Veronica.

Will ran through the halls and into the nearest bathroom where his sudden entrance shocked the two kids using the facilities. "Get out! OUT!" Will shouted as they ran. Will turned on the water and splashed his face, trying to calm down. "Calm down, Will. Calm down."

Jughead and the others ran in and saw Will at the sink and he looked like hell. He was busy splashing his face with water, trying to calm himself down. "Easy, Will. It's going to be ok." Betty said as she slowly made her way to his side and pats his back.

"Why the hell is she back after all these years?" Will asked himself as he took some deep breaths to try and calm down.

"I don't know." Betty said as she saw how tormented he was from this.

"But you're not going to go through it alone." Jughead told him as he walked up to Will. "You've been there for all of us; we'll be here for you."

Will managed to crack a smile as he felt himself coming down from the emotional high he just went through. Veronica grabbed Archie and moved to the hall.

"Ok, I know I'm the new girl and we have a billion other things going on but I thought Will's mother was dead? He told me she died when he was 2." She told him.

"She's not dead. It's a complicated story and Will should be the one to tell you." Archie told him as she nodded. She looked and saw the usual calm and cheerful Will looked like he just went through the emotional equivalent of a plane crash. The Alpha Wolf did have some skeletons in the closet.

"I'm fine." Will told them as he wiped his face with a paper towel and Jughead handed him his sketchpad. "I have to head out."

"We'll go with you." Betty told him.

"No, you guys have to get to practice. Besides, I need to talk to my dad. I'll see you guys later." Will told them as he walked away, out of the school.

"What do we do?" Betty asked.

"The only thing we can, Betty." Jughead told her. "Be there for him like he's been there for us."

"Jughead's right. He won't go through this alone." Archie replied as they were all worried for their friend.

Will drove like a bat out of hell to get to his dad's office in town. He parked on the street and ran in to see his dad working on some designs. "Will, what's wrong? I thought you'd be at school getting ready for the pep rally?" John asked.

"Mom's back." Will said as John froze and looked up at him

"What?" John asked.

"Mom's back. She showed up at school, dad. I mean, she was with Principal Weatherbee and she just came out into the hall looking for me." Will said as he noticed the look his dad had. "You knew she was here?"

"I did." John replied.

"For how long?" Will asked.

"Since Monday." John told him as Will couldn't believe it. His own dad lied to him for days and didn't even warn him.

"Jesus." Will said as he ran his hands through this hair and exhaled in frustration. "You knew mom was back for an entire week and you didn't think to warn me she would ambush me at school in front of everyone?"

"I didn't know she would do that, ok. She sent me a text saying to meet her and I told her to leave. She said she was back now, trying to do better. But I didn't want you to get your hopes up and go through losing her again." John told her. "I was trying to protect you."

"I don't need protecting, dad. What I need is know that my dad wasn't lying to me for a week about something that not only affects him but me as well. I could have prepared myself; instead it was like a freight train hit me when she showed up." Will said as he exhaled in frustration. "Do you believe her?"

"I don't know. It's been 16 years. If she's back now, something must have changed." John said as Will felt another panic attack coming.

"I need some air." Will said as he walked out of Detmer Designs and drove off.

Will drove through town and managed to make his way to Pop's. He walked in and sat down in a booth at Pop's to try and calm down. "Coffee, Pop." Will said as Pop came over and poured him a cup of coffee. Will took a sip as he exhaled and mulled over everything in his head.

He lost track of time as he had been in that booth for an hour as people entered and left. Veronica arrived at Pop's to get some coffee before the Pep Rally. She waited at the counter when she turned and saw Will sitting by himself. She got her coffee and walked over, seeing how deep in thought he was.

"Hey." Veronica said as Will looked up and saw Veronica standing there.

"Hey, Ronnie." Will said as he saw her in her River Vixens uniform. "Shouldn't you be at school getting ready with everyone else?"

"Came to Pop's to get some coffee. What about you?" She asked.

"Just needed somewhere to go. You want to sit?" Will asked as she nodded and sat down across from him. "How's everything with Betty?"

"Fine. I'm more concerned with you." She said as Will smiled.

"I'm all right." Will replied.

"I'm not sure about that. I've never seen you act like that before." She said.

"Guess you haven't known me that long. Just wasn't expecting to be ambushed like that at school." Will said as he took a sip of coffee.

"Seeing your mom come back from the dead will do that to you." Veronica said as Will sighed.

"She wasn't dead." Will told her as she looked at him. "I just told you that because it's what most of the town knows to be true."

Veronica saw how hard this was for him. "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to." Veronica said.

"It's ok, Veronica. We're friends and seeing as how you were there, you probably have a lot of questions." Will said.

"I would be lying if I didn't say I'm a little lost as to what was going on." Veronica said as Will nodded.

"My mom and dad met when they were in college at NYU. This was before my dad decided to serve in the military. I guess you could say it was a love at first sight kind of thing. They married soon after and were happy. When my dad got back state side they had me, but it wasn't perfect. When I was 2, my dad came home to find me sitting in the kitchen by myself and my mother unconscious on the couch. A bottle of pills in her hand. She was unresponsive by the time he got home, and the stove was on in the kitchen. There I was, standing in front of an open flame." Will said as Veronica absorbed everything.

"Your mom was—" "She was a drug addict." Will said, finishing her sentence as he sipped some coffee.

"And that wasn't the first time something like that had happened. My dad got her into another rehab and a couple of days later, she was gone. He looked everywhere for her, but there's only so much the Sheriff's department can do in a small town. He looked for years to try and find her, but she didn't want to be found." Will said as he took a deep breath. "My dad couldn't stand the thought of me growing up thinking I was abandoned. Going to sleep at night thinking my mother left because I wasn't enough to make her stay, that I wasn't loved. So, he told me and everyone else that she died. To save me the trauma of having to grow up thinking that my own mother didn't want me."

Veronica saw how much this affected him as she saw the usual confident and strong Will Detmer vulnerable for the first time. She reached out and held his hand, comforting him as he wiped a stray tear from his eye. "As I got older, I began to see the inconsistencies with my dad's story. When I was 14, I told him I wanted to know the whole story. No lies or mistruths, I wanted to know everything. He didn't want to in order to protect me, but I needed to know the truth and he told me." Will said as he remembered that day. "I hated him for a while because of this but I understood why he did what he did."

"Did you ever try to find her?" Veronica asked.

"I tried, but I was a 14-year-old kid who hadn't seen his mother in years. If she didn't want to see me then I didn't want to see her." Will said, with some bitterness in his voice. "I grew up trying to be the man she would have been proud to call son. Its why my dad gave me this."

Veronica looked as Will held his wolf necklace. "My dad told me that my mom gave him this when he shipped out. Her family has ties to the Native Americans and that before someone was sent away for battle, they would be given the blessing of the wolf spirit. Wolves were fierce and deadly pack animals but above all they looked out for their pack. The wolf would appear when we face challenges we feel less than prepared for and would guide us home. He never took it off after that. He gave it to me when I was 2 after my mom left. He said that it showed the Detmer's cared about family above all and we don't abandon the pack and that includes family in everything but blood. After I figured out the truth about my mom, I contemplated throwing it away. I don't even know why I still wear it." Will said as he let the necklace dangle around his neck.

"I know." Veronica said as she looked at him. "Because while it may be something that reminds you of your mother, it also shows you as a person and how much you've grown. Now, I may not have the history with you like Cheryl, Archie or Betty, but from what I've seen and heard, any kid who went through what you did wouldn't have turned into the guy I see right now."

"What kind of guy is that?" Will asked.

"The guy who's more concerned about his friends than himself. One of the most selfless, probably the most selfless and nicest person I've met in my entire life. And where I'm from that says a lot. That necklace is no longer a reminder of your mom, now it's a reminder of who you are as a person." Veronica said as Will smiled.

"Thank, Ronnie. Guess I just needed to hear it." Will said.

"No problem? But Ronnie?" She asked.

"What? Sounded like a good nickname." Will said as she smiled.

"Then Ronnie it is." She replied as she sipped some coffee. "So, what are you and your dad going to do?"

"I don't know. She's been here a week and she hasn't left. She must have come back for something, I just don't know what." Will told her.

"Maybe she's back to see you." Veronica said as Will scoffed. "What? Is it so hard to think that she missed her son and husband after all these years?"

"It's been 16 years, Ronnie. If she wanted to be a family she didn't have to leave in the first place. Something else must have happened." Will said as finished his coffee. "Besides, it's not like there's a lot to reminisce over. I was 2 when she left, I barely have any memories of her."

"Well, maybe she's here to make some new ones." Veronica told him. "Look, I can't possibly know how hard it was for you and your dad but she's here now. Just give her a chance. As someone whose father is in jail for doing some bad things, just being there for them could make all the difference. Once she sees who you are, she will know she made the right choice in coming back."

"Thanks, Veronica." Will told her as she smiled. "You know, if we weren't friends, I'd think there was a little something going on right now."

Will managed a small smirk causing Veronica to chuckle. "There's the Will Detmer I know." She said as she got up. "I need to head back now. Are you going to be ok?'

"I'll be fine." He told her as she walked over and kissed his cheek.

"The wolf doesn't have to go through this without his pack." She said as she left.

"Whew. She's something." Will said as he sat in the booth for a little longer before deciding to head to the Pep rally and the game.

Most of the town was here in full force as the school band played music and everyone cheered. There was a light drizzle but that didn't deter the crowd as they were just as enthusiastic if it was a sunny day. They had umbrellas and there were tarps set up to block the rain but the crowd was still passionate. The band played as the football team was there getting the crowd pumped and the River Vixens cheered. A stage was set up in the middle of the field where Mayor McCoy would speak.

Will grabbed his spare jacket from the trunk and put it on as he walked through the crowd. He saw Jughead and Archie talking and the two seemed to be on amicable terms which made him smile. He walked over to the concession stand to get a bag of popcorn and walked over to Jughead as the football players huddled up by the side.

"Hey." Will said as Jughead was surprised to see him here.

"Hey yourself. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Just needed some time to think and a distraction." Will replied as he held out the popcorn and Jughead took some. "How are things with Archie?"

"Better. He's going to Sherriff Keller on Monday." Jughead said as Will nodded.

"Good but that still leaves us with who shot the gun in the first place." Will said as Jughead nodded.

"I don't suppose your dad used his in with Sherriff Keller to get some leads?" Jughead asked.

"He's been a little busy this week." Will said as Jughead nodded.

"How are you doing?" Jughead asked as Will looked at him.

"I'm hanging in there." Will replied.

"You don't have to put up the whole masculine guard with me, Will. What's going on?" he asked as Will took a breath.

"I'm working through it." He replied. "Just hard to believe she's back after all this time."

"She must have a reason. As the guy who knows a thing or two about absentee parents, give her a chance. You might be surprised with what happens." Jughead told him.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Will said as the pep rally started with Coach Clayton, Mayor McCoy and Principal Weatherbee taking their place on the stage.

"Now to kick off this pep rally, I'd like to hand things off to our very own Mayor McCoy." Principal Weatherbee said as everyone cheered.

"Thank you, Principal Weatherbee. It is heartening to see so many of you here, even in weather like this. But a lack of heart and school spirit has never been the Riverdale way. Tonight's pep rally isn't like any other we've had in the past. And we shouldn't pretend that it is. Which is why I would like to dedicate this evening to the memory of one of our brightest. Jason Blossom. We're with him tonight. Now please, join me in welcoming to the field our very own River Vixens, and their special guest stars, my daughter, Josie and her Pussycats!" Mayor McCoy shouted as the Pussycats took the stage and began their song. The River Vixens began their routine as the crowd cheered. Will clapped along as he saw Cheryl, Veronica and Betty dancing and for a second all his problems seem to be absence in his mind as he hung out with his friends and enjoyed being a teenager.

The song finished as Cheryl took stage and hugged Josie on an awesome song. Coach Clayton then took the microphone. "Ok, are you all ready? Put your hands together for the Riverdale Bulldogs!"

The team busted through the banner as everyone cheered while Will saw Jughead kept his usual expression. "Come on, you could be a little supportive for him." Will said.

"Hey, I'm here aren't I?" Jughead asked as Will nodded.

"True." Will said as he saw Cheryl freeze on stage. He saw where she was looking and it was Archie wearing Jason's jersey and it must have triggered something as she ran off the stage and back to the school.

"Here, Jug." Will said as he handed him the popcorn as Betty and Veronica chased after Cheryl, so he followed them.

Cheryl made her way back to the locker room as Veronica walked in to see her crying on the bench. "Cheryl?" Veronica asked as Cheryl sniffled and wiped her nose. "Cheryl, what is it? What happened?"

"Jason. He's gone…" She said as she cried.

"I know. I know he is." Veronica said as she saw Will walk in.

"No, you don't. You don't understand. He was supposed to come back." She said as Veronica looked at Will confused but he shook his head not to dig into it. "I'm alone…I'm alone."

"You're not alone. It's ok." Veronica said as she rubbed her back and Will walked up and knelt in front of her.

"She's right." He said as he held her hands. "You're not alone."

Cheryl chocked back a sob as she leapt up and threw her arms around Will, burying her face into his chest as she cried his eyes out. "I promise you…you will never be alone." Will told her as she comforted her.

Cheryl stayed in Will's arms for a while as the game went on. They eventually made their way back onto the field where Mr. and Mrs. Blossom took Cheryl home. Will offered to drive her, but they took her and left immediately, probably embarrassed by her actions. The Bulldogs won the game and after the game Will would take Jughead and Archie for milkshakes.

Veronica was packing her bag as Betty walked up her. "Hey. I saw you and Cheryl. Not many girls would've done what you did." Betty said.

"Full disclosure. I've had my share of emotional breakdowns." Veronica replied.

"If you're not doing anything, do you wanna go get a milkshake at Pop's?" Betty asked as Veronica asked.

"Are you sure?" She asked as Betty chuckled.

"I am." She replied.

"Betty, I'd love that." Veronica said as they went to get cleaned up and went to Pop's and got a booth with Betty getting a vanilla and Veronica getting a double chocolate.

"Betty?" Veronica asked as Betty looked at her. "Can we make a vow? That no matter what, no boy will ever come between us again. Deal?"

"Deal." Betty said as they cheer their drinks.

The door to Pop's opened and in walked Will, Archie, and Jughead. Veronica looked up and saw Will who waved, and she waved back. Betty turned and saw them there. She contemplated for a few seconds, getting a second glance at Veronica before she looked at them. "Do you guys want to join us?" Betty asked.

"Yes, but only if you're treating." Jughead said.

"I'll buy. My treat." Will said they walked over and Will sat down next to Veronica while Archie sat next to Betty.

"Even better." Jughead said as he jumped over the booth behind them and sat on Veronica's other side.

"Veronica Lodge." Veronica said, introducing herself to Jughead.

"Jughead Jones, the third." Jughead replied.

"The third?" She asked as Will chuckled.

"Jughead is just a nickname and it stuck. I could tell you his real name, but he'll probably try to kill me." Will said as Betty and Archie laughed.

 _To someone on the outside, peering in, it would've looked like there were five people in that booth. But I was there, and I can tell you. Really, there were only four. A blonde girl, a raven-haired girl, a red head boy, and the brown-haired guy who kept us together. For one shining moment, we were just kids. Those bright neon lights of Pop's keeping the darkness at bay. Giving way, as all nights must, to a morning of reckonings._

The night was fun as the five friends drank their milkshakes and had a night out as teenagers for once. "I have to say, Archie, that was a good game." Will said as Archie nodded.

"Yeah, who knew you had it in you." Jughead said, sarcastically.

"Yeah, well it was one game of the season." Archie replied.

"True but keep it up and the rest of the season will be a breeze." Betty said as Will finished his milkshake.

Veronica looked at Will and she saw he was doing better than before. "Hey, you doing ok?" She asked as everyone looked at him.

"Yeah, definitely better than at school." He told them as they nodded.

"So, what are you going to do?" Betty asked.

"Not sure yet. My dad probably has a plan, I'll go along with whatever he decides." Will said as Betty nodded.

"Well whatever happens, you have us here to help you through it." Jughead said as Will nodded.

"Thanks, guys." Will replied.

"Don't mention it. The wolf is nothing without his pack." Veronica said as everyone chuckled.

Line Break xxxxx

The next morning, Will woke up early and was sitting in the kitchen eating some breakfast of eggs and toast. He talked to his dad last night and apologized for his outburst. His dad was more than understanding and said that Rosaline wanted to meet today to talk and that he'd be going and Will could as well. He cleaned the dishes and was sitting in the kitchen looking over some old family photos from when he was a baby until he was 2. His dad walked down the stairs as he saw Will looking through the photos and there was one from Will's trip to the doctor.

"I remember that day." John said as Will looked at him. "We took you to get a shot and you made a giant fuss after, saying she pinched you. We took you to Pop's after and got you your first ice cream. This was a mistake because all we heard for the next month was ice cream, ice cream, ice cream."

"Oh, so that's when the obsession started." Will said as John chuckled.

"Will, you don't have to do this. If you don't want to meet your mom, I get it." John told him.

"No, it's ok. I want to meet her. I need to meet her." Will said as John nodded and kissed his head.

"You'd make an incredible marine, Will." John told him.

"I take after you in that regard." Will said as they grabbed their jackets and drove to meet Rosaline. She had called them to meet her at Riverdale's local coffee shop _Roast_. It was low-key and was often a place where people spent their free time. Will and John walked in, got cups of coffee and sat down. They waited a few minutes as Rosaline entered the coffee shop and saw John and Will.

"Johnathan." Rosaline said as she walked over and John and Will stood up.

"Rosaline. Will, this is your mother, Rosaline." John said.

"Hello." Will said as Rosaline smiled and held his hands.

"Hi. Hello, William." She said as Will didn't hold her hands back and she let go. John saw the hurt expression on her face but he couldn't blame William for his reaction.

"Uh, can I get you a coffee?" John asked.

"No, I'm fine." She said as they sat down. "William, I want to apologize for showing up at your school yesterday. I didn't mean to put you through that."

"It's ok." Will replied, keeping a calm and relatively stoic demeanor.

"I can't get over what a handsome young man you've become. And as an amateur architect. I saw some of the articles about you and your father. I'm so proud of you." Rosaline told him.

"Why are you here?" Will asked. "Why now? Why after 16 years?"

"I want to make this right with you." She said.

"How about you start by apologizing for walking out on us?" Will asked.

"I am sorry. So very…very sorry. There's so much you don't know." Rosaline told him.

"I don't know, I'm pretty smart. I understand that you've been through a great deal, Rosaline and I can appreciate you feeling this is suddenly the right time for you to want me in your life. But that doesn't mean I have to accept you until I know the real reason why you came back and don't say it was just to see us." Will said as Rosaline and John looked at him. "Growing up in Riverdale with people like the Coopers and the Blossoms, I've learned to pick up on lies and mistruths. So, what really brought you back to Riverdale?"

Rosaline took a deep breath as the door to _Roast_ opened and in walked a brown-haired girl about 16 years of age wearing a red sleeveless cotton shirt, a green vest, a wolf necklace, blue jeans, and boots. When she walked in, Will noticed he didn't recognize her from school so maybe she was a new student. But after looking at her a little longer, she looked a little like dad and Rosaline and then he saw her wolf necklace.

The girl walked over to them and got next to Rosaline. "Hey, I managed to find a parking spot." She said as Rosaline nodded.

"Thank you. And your timing is perfect." Rosaline said as John and Will were frozen because they both concluded as to who she was. She stood up as John and Will did the same. "John, William, this is Jessica. Jessica Detmer."

"Jessica?" John asked as Rosaline nodded.

"Hi, dad." Jessica said as she slowly walked forward and held out her hand. John was frozen for a bit but then held her hand.

"Jessica." He said as he brought her in and hugged her close. Jessica froze for a bit before she hugged back. "Oh my god, look how beautiful you are Jessica."

"I prefer Jesse." She said as they broke apart from the hug and she walked over to Will. "I guess that makes you my big brother."

"Yeah, guess so." Will said, still trying to process everything. She then hugged him as Will hugged back.

"When I left, I found out I was pregnant. And she's the reason I came back. So that Jesse would have her father and her brother to look after her after I'm gone." Rosaline said as Jesse walked over and held her mother's hand.

"What do you mean after you're gone?" John asked as Rosaline took a deep breath.

"A few months ago, I started to feel really weak and sick. I went to the doctors and nobody could tell what was wrong until one doctor did. Leukemia. The doctor's said it progressed to far for it to be treated. They give me a few more months." Rosaline said as Jesse held her hand and held back some tears as John and Will were silent, absorbing what they were just told. "It's why I came back. So, Jesse could meet her family and for you to get to know this me, the real me. Not the woman who left, but the woman right in front of you."

"There…there has to be something we can do." John said.

"There isn't anything. We went to every doctor we could and they told us all the same thing." Jesse replied.

"But we can try." Will said as they looked at him. "I'm good friends with the Blossoms, they're the richest people in town. I'm sure they can get a specialist to help Rosaline."

"Thank you, William." Rosaline said as Will nodded.

"Detmer's take care of one another. The wolf doesn't abandon his pack." Will said as he and John stood up.

"Will, right. And if it's all right with him, you two can stay with us. We have more than enough space." John said as Will nodded.

"It's fine. If you came, it means you want Jesse to stay in Riverdale." Will said as Rosaline nodded.

"Thank you, William. Thank you." She said as she held his hands. Will held her hands but then let go.

"I forgive you, Rosaline. But this is still a lot to take in." Will replied.

"Of course." Rosaline replied.

They took Rosaline and Jesse back home and got them situated. Will helped Jesse move her stuff into the guest room which would now be here room from now on. He lugged up all her bags and boxes as she began putting her clothes away. Will had the last box which contained an electric piano, some music books, a stand, and a lot of sheet music and he had a guitar strapped over his shoulder.

"Here's the last box." Will said as he walked into the room to see Jesse putting her clothes away.

"In the corner is fine." She said as Will put it down. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Will said as he looked around. "So, this is your room now. Feel free to decorate however you want."

"Thanks. To be honest, I'm not sure what to do with all this space." Jesse said. "Growing up, we made do with little."

"I'm sorry." Will said.

"It's ok. You couldn't have known." Jesse said.

"Did mom tell you…about dad and me?" He asked.

"Yeah. She did when I got older." Jesse said.

"How come she didn't come to see us sooner?" He asked.

"She was ashamed." Jesse said as she turned to face him. "She didn't think either of you would want anything to do with her. It took a lot for her to even consider coming back after her diagnosis."

"Yeah, I'm forgetting how hard this must have been for her and you." Will said as he cleared his throat. "Look, Jessica—"

"Jesse, please. I prefer it." Jesse said.

"Jesse." Will said, correcting himself. "I know that I may have come off as cold before, but this is still a lot for me to take in."

"I know, me too." Jesse said.

"And I know we just met but I want you to know that if you need anything, all you need to do is ask. I know I haven't been in your life and you have no reason to look at me like a brother…but you're my sister and I'm going to do whatever I can to be the best sibling I can be and make up for 16 years of not being there." Will said as Jesse smiled.

"Thanks. And I'll try to do the same too." Jesse said. "So, are we at the hugging phase or should we stick to hand shaking for now?"

"Hand shaking is fine. Hugging for when we're both ready." Will said as he shook her hand.

"So, since we're on the same page, I feel I should warn you about a few things. I tend to be kind of loud with my music." She told him.

"Yeah, I noticed all the sheet music. Are you a musician?" Will asked.

"Trying to be. I'm kind of self-taught and I'm been writing some songs. I also play the piano and guitar." Jesse said as Will nodded.

"Right. That's something we have in common. I should introduce you to my friend Josie. Something tells me you two will hit it off." Will said as she nodded.

"Right." Jesse said as she looked at all her stuff. "If you don't mind, I'll finish unpacking.

"Sure. I'll let you get settled in." He said as he left and walked downstairs to see his dad helping his mom with some stuff.

"Hey, dad." Will said as John and Rosaline looked at him. "Jesse's getting settled in."

"Good." John said.

"Thank you, William." Rosaline told him.

"It's fine. And Will, please." Will said as she nodded.

"Um, if you don't mind. I was kind of hoping to take a drive. Clear my head for a bit." Will said as they nodded. "I'll be back later."

They watched him leave and drive away in his Impala as Rosaline sighed. "Just give him some time, Rosaline. This is a lot to take in." John told her.

"I don't know if he'll ever forgive me." Rosaline said.

"Will's not the kind of person to hold a grudge against anyone…even his own mother. He'll come around eventually. He cares too much about people. He's a lot like you in that regard." John told her as she shook her head.

"No. Everything he is, the man he is now is because of you Johnathan. And I couldn't be prouder." She said as he smiled. "I just hope he can forgive him."

"He will. I did." John said as she smiled.

Line Break xxxxx

Will drove through Riverdale and was planning to see Cheryl about asking for help but on the way, he stopped near the ground at Thistlehouse. Thistlehouse is a residence that belong to the Blossoms. It was smaller than Thornhill and never really used since the Blossoms stayed in their manor but was nice and was often where Jason practiced Water Polo or Cheryl her archery. And there were plenty of parties there he'd been to. It was also near the lake and was place that Will went to when he needed to think.

Will parked his car by the lake edge and sat on the hood of the car, looking out to the water as he listened to the sound of the water, wind, and birds. There were no people, just calm and serenity.

"Will?" he heard as he turned to see Cheryl in her archery garb.

"Hey, Cheryl." Will said with a wave as she walked over.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Just wanted someplace to think for a bit. How's your archery, Speedy?" Will joked as Cheryl shook her head. He often called her that as a refence to the DC comic book character Speedy.

"Fine. I needed something to do when I heard your car." She said as she walked over. "Do you mind if I sit?"

"No, go ahead." He said as she sat down next to him and they stared out to the lake. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I want to thank you for what you did at the pep rally." Cheryl said.

"It's no problem. I did what anyone would have done." He replied as she looked at him.

"No. No one else came to check on me after it happened. Thank you." She said as Will looked at her with a smile.

"Your welcome. But I wasn't the only one who helped you." He said as she nodded.

"I didn't expect Veronica of all people to come help me." She said.

"She has a way of surprising people, that's for sure. She puts up a tough exterior but she's nice once you get to know her. And you two haven't gotten off on the best of starts." He said as she chuckled. "Two alpha leaders. I'm surprised you two haven't killed each other already."

"Guess we've been a little busy." Cheryl said as she and Will chuckled. "So, what brought you all the way over here?"

"Can't it be to see my favorite red head?" he asked as she chuckled.

"I'm serious." She said.

"So am I. Maybe I'm finally acting on the noticeable tension between the two of us lately? After your little ambush at your party, it's been hard to not think about it." He said with a smile that made her heart flutter a bit. "That was part of it. But I also just wanted someplace to think."

"Tease." She said as she hit his shoulder.

"Oh, Cheryl, you've never seen me tease. Trust me, if you did you'd never let me go." He replied as she raised an eyebrow and decided to play his game.

"Oh, is that a threat or a promise?" She asked, leaning in close their lips barely touching. She was lost in his eyes as Will leaned in, enamored by Cheryl's fierceness and beauty.

"Can't it be both?" He asked as they were about to kiss when the loud caw of a crow caught their attention. It cawed at them and ruined the mood.

"Stupid bird." Cheryl said as she picked up a rock and chucked it at the crow, causing it to fly away.

"Well, that ruined the mood." He said as he stared out to the water.

"Yes, it did." She said as she looked at him. "How are you doing with your mother in town?"

"I met her today." He said as she looked at him. "My dad and I met her today at Roast."

"And?" Cheryl asked.

"She apologized for running out on us 16 years ago. I think she was sincere." Will said. "To be honest, I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel. She's my mother but she's a complete stranger to me. Am I supposed to feel happy she's back? Angry for her leaving? Do I welcome her with open arms or just keep things the way they've been?"

Cheryl looked at Will and saw he was really struggling with these emotions. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on like that. It's just…I had to let that out." Will said.

"It's ok." She said as she held his hand and he clasped his fingers around her hand. "You've been there for me, I want to be there for you. So, what happened?"

"She told us why she came back, and it was a shocker to say the least." Will told her. "It turns out she didn't come back alone, she brought someone with her."

"Her husband?" She asked.

"Not a bad guess and kind of what I was expecting, but no. Her name is Jesse…and she's my sister." He said.

"Excuse me?" Cheryl asked.

"It turns out I have a 16-year-old sister I never knew about." Will said as Cheryl was frozen in shock.

"Ho—how is that possible?" Cheryl asked.

"When my mom left she was pregnant with Jesse. She came back so she could meet us…and to let us know the 2nd reason she came back. She's dying." Will told her. "It's Leukemia. The doctors say she has a few months left."

"Oh my god." Cheryl said.

"She said she wanted to come back, so Jesse could stay with her father and brother. And so that I could get to know the real her, and not the woman who left when I was two." Will said as he cleared his throat. "So yeah, in the span of an hour I learned I have a sister and my mother has Leukemia."

"Oh my god, Will. I'm sorry." She said as Will looked at her and to her shock managed to smile.

"Thanks, Cheryl. So, Jesse and my mom are staying with us now. Awkward and a learning curve are going to be an understatement for the next few weeks." Will said as Cheryl saw that Will was still himself despite all of this.

"Well, Jesse is lucky to have you as her brother. And my parents have some connections to the best doctors. I'll have them contact a specialist and have them look at your mom. Maybe there's something we can do." Cheryl said as Will smiled.

"Thanks, Cheryl." He said as she leaned on his shoulder. "You're one of a kind."

"I'm not the only one. And I'm right. Once Jesse sees what an amazing guy you are, the guy I've known my entire life, she'll know she struck sibling gold." Cheryl said as Will held her hand. "If you need anything, just ask."

"Likewise. How are your parents treating you?" He asked.

"Same old, same old. Thank god my nanna's here." Cheryl said as Will noticed how sad she sounded.

"I miss him too. But if you want to escape your parents, my door's always open." He said as she smiled.

"I might take you up on that offer. And it'll give me a chance to get to know Jesse. I'll make it my mission to make her into Riverdale's biggest thing." She said as Will nervously chuckled.

"And I'm worried." He said as she pinched his side. "But thanks. Jesse's going to need some friends now with everything going on."

"And she'll get the best one in me. I promise." She said.

The two sat together on the hood of Will's car as they looked out to the lake and enjoyed the peace and tranquility. Despite all the craziness in their lives, they managed to find some semblance of peace. The sun was shining down and made the lake shimmer as the birds flew above. Will then remembered what Cheryl said in the locker room at the pep rally and figured he asked now.

"Cheryl, can I ask you something?" he asked as she looked at him.

"Anything." Cheryl replied.

"Back at the pep rally, you said that Jason was supposed to come back. What did you mean by that?" He asked as he saw she looked guilty. "Hey, whatever you tell me won't change how I look at you, I promise."

"Jason didn't die on July 4th. He was leaving." Cheryl told him as Will was confused.

"Leaving? He was running away?" He asked as she nodded. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. The plan was bananas, even for me. Jason wanted to leave Riverdale and never come back. He asked for my help to stage a tragic accident so our mom and dad wouldn't come after him. Our story would be we went for an early morning boat ride and the boat tipped and capsized and Jason drowned. In fact, we made it to the other side, dry as bones. We said goodbye on the Greendale side of Sweetwater River. He promised he call me as soon as he was in a place where he couldn't be reached or pulled back by our parents. One month at the most. Every day I waited for him to call, an email…but nothing." She said as Will held her.

"Hey, it's ok." Will told her as she hugged him. "Did he say why he was running away?"

"No. He didn't, just that he needed my help." She said as Will nodded.

"Jason, what the hell were you thinking?" Will asked himself as he looked at Cheryl. "Cheryl, we need to tell Sheriff Keller. He needs to know this to help with his investigation."

"I know." She said as he looked at her.

"It's better that we tell him now than him coming to you later and it makes you look guilty to him." Will said as she nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be there the entire time."

"Ok." Cheryl said as they got in his car and drove to the Sheriff's office.

They walked in to see the Sheriff talking to his son Kevin about something. "Cheryl, Will, hey." Kevin said as they waved.

"Sheriff Keller, we need to talk." Will told him.

"About what, son?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"About my brother's murder." Cheryl told him as Sheriff Keller and Kevin looked at them. They moved to an interrogation room where they could speak in private.

"Ok, what did you have to tell me about your brother's murder?" Keller asked as he and Cheryl sat at the table while Will leaned against the wall.

"I don't know who killed him, but I did lie about what I told you happened on July 4th." Cheryl told him as he nodded and pulled out Jason's file.

"The report from the coroner on Jason's autopsy put's his actual death on July 11th." Sheriff Keller said as Will was shocked. Jason wasn't killed on July 4th but a week later. This meant that something else must have happened and since he was trying to run away, maybe it had to do with that. "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

"It was July 4th. I don't know what happened the week after." Cheryl said.

"Cheryl, in your own words, what happened at Sweetwater River?" Sheriff Keller asked as Cheryl told him what she told Will.

"Did he tell anyone else about the plan? Any way you can corroborate it?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"He told me." Will said as Sheriff Keller and Cheryl looked at him. "Jason told me the same thing he told Cheryl, about his plan to leave."

"Do you have any idea why he wanted to leave? Why he would fake his own death?" Sheriff Keller asked as Will shook his head no.

"No. Jason told me something came up but no matter how hard I pressed him he wouldn't say anything. He just asked me to look after Cheryl for him." Will said.

"You've known this the entire time yet neither of you came to see me. Why?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"Things were crazy, Sheriff. And Jason wanted to get away so telling the Sheriff what really happened would negate the whole point." Will said as Keller wasn't amused. "Sorry. When Jason's body was found, things were crazy to say the least. My best friend, her brother, was found dead with a bullet hole in his head."

"Yet, she was up their dancing at the pep rally." Sheriff Keller said as Cheryl hid in her seat.

"And ran off the stage soon after, Sheriff. Everyone saw what happened. People think Cheryl is many things but she's not cruel or evil to have killed Jason or anyone." Will told him as Cheryl looked at him, he was defending her. "Maybe whatever Jason was doing to get away got him killed."

"That doesn't leave us a lot to go on. Do either of you know anything else?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"There was a gunshot that morning. We heard a gunshot on July 4th." Cheryl said as Will knew it was the gunshot that Archie would tell Sheriff Keller about. "Maybe it was the killer."

"You heard a gunshot and you're just telling me this now?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"I didn't think anything of it." Cheryl said as Will saw how this was affecting her.

"It could have been the killer or it could have been someone on a morning hunting trip. There are plenty of people who hunt here, Sheriff Keller." Will told him as Sheriff Keller looked at him.

"Did you hear this gunshot?" Keller asked.

"No, I was with Jughead that day." Will told him. "Sheriff, we came to tell you this ourselves before things get any crazier in this town. Now, we don't know who killed Jason but it wasn't me or Cheryl. And now that you know the truth, maybe it can help you."

"And I appreciate you kids coming to me before I came to you, but you have to understand how all this sounds." Sheriff Keller said as they nodded. "But you coming to me also shows that you two might be innocent. Now, the last time, is there anything else you two can tell me about what Jason was planning?"

"No, sheriff." Cheryl told him.

"I'm sorry, Sheriff, I wish there was." Will said.

"All right. If either of you two thinks of anything, even the smallest detail you come straight to me." Sheriff Keller said as they nodded. "Now, get on home."

"I'll take you home, Cheryl." Will said as they left the Sheriff's office and Will drove Cheryl to Thornhill. Will stopped in the driveway and walked Cheryl to the door.

"Will, why did you say all of that at the Sheriff's office?" She asked.

"Well, it was partially true. He asked if anyone else knew the story and I did because you told me. I might have stretched the truth a little bit. But I also saw how hard it was for you so I helped out how I could." Will told her. "And I know Jason never told me this but like I said before, I'm going to look after you."

"I know but why? I know what people say about me, that I'm cruel and loveless. You've seen how I treat Betty and your friends." Cheryl said as she looked at him.

"I know. But I also know the person you really are. Someone who's not cruel and loveless but acts that way to defend herself. And I also know what you've been through and the heartbreak you went through after Heather." Will said as she looked at him. "The girl standing right now in front of me is not the monster people think you are."

"Will…" Cheryl said.

"She's got more heart in her then she lets on. And like I've said for years, the wolf never abandons a member of his pack. Plus, it goes without saying that I've got a thing for spunk and fierceness." Will said with a smile as Cheryl chuckled.

They locked eyes for a moment as Cheryl leaned in. Will leaned down and placed his forehead against hers as she made the first move and kissed him. It felt like a million jolts of electricity went through their bodies as the butterflies in Cheryl's stomach fluttered away. The kiss was innocent and showed how much these people cared for one another and was gradually getting a little more heated when the front door opened and they quickly separated. At the front door was Clifford Blossom and he was greeted to the sight of Will and his daughter very close and nervous.

"William, didn't expect to see you here…with my daughter." Clifford said.

"Mr. Blossom. I just came to drop off Cheryl." He said as he adjusted himself and cleared his throat.

"Right. We met up and he offered to drive me home. Thanks, Will." Cheryl said.

"Anytime. Happy to. I'll see you at school." Will said as he hugged Cheryl goodbye. "Mr. Blossom."

Clifford nodded as Will got into his car and left.

Line Break xxxxx

The weekend ended as Will woke up early on Monday morning to get ready for school. He took a shower, shaved, and got dressed. He walked out of his room and passed Jesse's and saw her asleep in bed, her room now decorated with posters of her favorite singers and bands. Will smiled as he saw her blanket had fallen off, so he walked over and put it back over her as she snuggled into the bed. Will grabbed his backpack and walked down stairs to see his dad in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Morning." Will said as he sat down in a chair by the counter and poured himself a cup of orange juice.

"Morning. How'd you sleep?" John asked.

"Fine. How's Rosaline?" Will asked as John plated some eggs and bacon on a plate.

"She's asleep. She's been through a lot. How's Jesse?" John asked.

"Settled in nicely." Will said as John nodded. "Is she going to be at Riverdale high?"

"Yeah. Your mother and I are going to head to your school later to talk to Principal Weatherbee." John said as Will nodded.

"How are things…between you and her?" Will asked.

"Different. Despite everything we've been through, she's still the woman I fell in love with in college. She's been through a lot and I want to help her however I can." John said as Will nodded. "And you?"

"Getting through it. I don't have the history with her like you do, dad. But I'm getting through it." Will said as John nodded.

"Maybe then it's a good idea that she's here now. So, you get to know her as she is now and not from what you've been told." John said as Will nodded.

"Yeah. Still a learning curve but I'll get there." Will said as John smiled.

"Good. Now, I figured you'd want to see this first." John said as he handed him a copy of the Riverdale Registry and Will saw the headline, _Cheryl Blossom Guilty as Sin! Mystery behind Jason Blossom's Death_.

"What the hell?" Will asked as he read the article and reported the results of Jason's autopsy and that Cheryl might be a suspect in his murder. The autopsy showed the Jason wasn't killed on July 4th but on July 11th and that his body also showed signs of various inflicted wounds and bruises, his wrists had rope burns and marks, and his body had tell-tale signs of ice. This meant that Jason was likely beaten, help captive, killed by gunshot to the head and then his body put in a freezer before being dumped in Sweetwater River. It also stated than an anonymous source at the Sheriff's office saw Cheryl Blossom make a statement that she lied to the police about what really happened on July 4th, implicating her as a suspect.

"Leave it to Alice Cooper to use the Register to spearhead a vendetta." John said as he took a sip of coffee.

"Jesus, Jason wasn't killed at random…this was deliberate murder and a coverup." Will said as John nodded.

"I talked to the Sheriff and they still don't have any new leads since Cheryl and you walked into the precinct. Something you want to tell me?" John asked, wondering why his son never told him he went to the Sheriff.

"Yeah, about that. Look, it was kind of an impulsive move on my part. After I took the ride, I parked near Thistlehouse to clear my head and I ran into Cheryl. We got to talking and she mentioned something odd during the Pep Rally about Jason who was supposed to come back. When I asked her, she told me Jason was going to leave Riverdale." Will told him, and John was surprised.

"Leave? What happened?" John asked as Will shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. He didn't tell Cheryl and the whole story about their boat trip and him dying was just a ruse, so his parents wouldn't come after him. He made it to the Greendale side and was supposed to contact her when he got settled. I guess now we know why." Will said as John absorbed all the new information.

"Ok. Right. And the whole part of the Sheriff's office?" John asked.

"After Cheryl told me everything, we went to Sheriff Keller to tell him. It was better than him going after her later and making her look guilty. And she's not. Cheryl couldn't kill Jason." Will said as John nodded.

"And I agree. But this raises a whole lot more questions than answers. And despite you two going to the Sheriff, Alice is making her own story and the Registry is how Riverdale gets its news." John said.

"And what she prints people will believe since they weren't there. And Cheryl gets crucified because of it. Dammit." Will said as he slammed the paper down.

"Hey, Sheriff Keller will find out what happened to Jason and that will help Cheryl. But for now, the best thing you can do is to be there for her when she needs it most." John said as Will nodded.

"Yeah. I kind of lost my appetite. I'll see you later, dad." Will said as he left for school.

Will walked into school and saw everyone reading the front page of the Riverdale Registry and the story about Jason Blossom and his apparent murder. Will walked over to his locker to get some stuff out of his locker as Jughead walked over to him.

"Hey, guess you don't need to ask your dad for the favor." Jughead said as he held up the paper.

"Yeah. But all this does is leave us with more questions than answers." Will said as he closed his locker and they walked down the hall. "Turns out Jason was planning to leave Riverdale. He used Cheryl to do it."

"And the plot thickens. Any idea why?" Jughead asked.

"No, and it's not like we can ask him. Cheryl told me everything he told her." Will said as Jughead raised an eyebrow.

"So you told Cheryl to speak to the sheriff. Should have guessed you could make her do it above anyone else." Jughead said as Will looked at him.

"What does that mean?" Will asked as they stopped in the hall.

"What? It's kind of obvious you two have a thing going on. You're one of the only people Cheryl is kind to in this entire town and I know you like her too. Is there something more going on between you two?" Jughead asked as Will thought about what he said. He and Cheryl did have a moment and they've always been close but after that kiss, maybe there was something more. "And to be honest, I'm surprised it wasn't Veronica you put the moves on."

"Ronnie, what about her?" Will asked as they kept walking.

"Dude, she likes you. I saw the way she looked at you at Pop's and how concerned she was. Not to mention, I heard you took her to the dance." Jughead said.

"That was just as friends." He replied.

"Yeah. I know people think I'm a social outcast but I'm also a good observer. And I can say with confidence that you got your heart set on two ladies at the moment. Better make your mind up quickly before they swallow you up." Jughead said.

"Oh, well screw you very much." Will said as Jughead chuckled.

They walked to class as Archie walked through the halls and stopped at the music room, watching Grundy play the cello. He contemplated his choice about talking to Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller after reading the Register's story about Jason's death and Cheryl's story making her a suspect. He didn't know if he should speak at all to protect Grundy but he had to, to help Cheryl.

He was in the Principal's office with Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller. "I think I know something that can help with the Blossom Investigation. The paper's saying that Cheryl heard a gunshot?" Archie asked.

"That's what she's claiming, yes." Sheriff Keller replied.

"I heard it, too." Archie said as they looked at him. "I was there that morning. I didn't say anything because at first, like everyone, I thought Jason had drowned. But then when I read the paper and his autopsy said he died later…" Archie said.

"What were you doing down at the river so early on July 4th?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"Um, working on some songs. I, uh…write songs." Archie said.

"Did you see who fired the shot?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"No, sir." Archie replied.

"Were you alone?" Keller asked as Archie thought about Grundy.

"No, sir." Archie replied.

"Who were you with?" Keller asked.

"My dog, Vegas." Archie replied.

Everyone went to their classes and school went on but the only thing on everyone's mind was the revelation about Jason's murder and his autopsy. Will focused on his studies but noticed that Cheryl wasn't in school today. He asked Tina and Ginger and they hadn't seen her all day either. On the way to history, Will pulled out his phone and texted Cheryl

Will: _ **Hey, you aren't at school today. Everything ok?**_

Cheryl: _ **Sheriff Keller contacted my parents and told them what happened. I'm under house arrest today.**_

Will mentally kicked himself. He figured Sheriff Keller would tell her parents and they would not be happy about this at all. Now Cheryl is facing the brunt of the attack for Will trying to do the right thing.

Will: _**I'm so sorry about that. I never meant for that to happen.**_

Cheryl: _**I know. You were right. My parents are just mad that I didn't tell them. They're keeping me home to minimize damage as they say. Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow.**_

Will: _**I'm so sorry, Cheryl. You know I would never do something to hurt you.**_

Cheryl: _**I know. Don't worry about me. I'm tougher than I look.**_

Will: _**I'm not sure about that. If that were true, you'd be superhuman considering the red-headed angel I've known my entire life.**_

Will sent the text and waited a few seconds for Cheryl to respond.

Cheryl: _**Now you're just flirting. By the way…I don't regret that kiss on Saturday.**_

Will smiled as he read the text and replied.

Will: _**Neither do I.**_

Will would've continued the conversation when the bell rang, and he had to get to class.

Will: _**Bell just rang. I'll talk to you later.**_

She texted goodbye as Will went through the rest of his classes. After school ended, Will was walking through the school when he accidently bumped into Betty.

"Oh, jeez. Sorry, Betty." Will said as he helped her with her books. "Sorry, kind of got a lot on my mind."

"Everything ok?" Betty asked as they walked down the hall.

"Could be better. To be honest, I didn't expect to wake up and find your mother using the Register to stick it to the Blossoms but something I should have expected." Will said as Betty nodded.

"I know. I tried to get her to stop sensationalizing what happened, but she wouldn't listen." Betty said as Will nodded.

"Well, your parents hate the Blossoms with a biblical passion. I'm sure if crucifixion was still a thing they would have gone with that first. No offense." Will said as Betty nodded.

"None taken. My mom is just using the Register to tear down Jason and the Blossoms. And even though Cheryl and I aren't even acquaintances, they don't deserve this. And she's missing the real story." Betty said as Will nodded.

"And FYI, when your mother reported that it was Cheryl who told the Sheriff about what happened to Jason, I was there too." Will said as Betty looked at him. "I went with Cheryl to the Sheriff's office and we told him everything. Someone must have leaked it to your mom."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Betty asked.

"Nope. And to be honest, I think if I did I'd keep it to myself, so your mom can't use it as ammunition in the paper." Will said as Betty agreed.

"There has to be a different way. I mean, Riverdale needs the whole story, not just what my mother believes. The story from an objective point of view." Betty said.

"Good luck with that. Unless you plan to start your own newspaper, the only thing this town has is what your mother says." Will said as Betty stopped. "Betty?"

"Will, you're a genius." She said as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, but for argument sake what am I a genius about?" He asked.

"We start our own paper, or more importantly we restart the Blue & Gold." Betty said.

"The old school paper that was shut down years ago?" Will asked.

"It wasn't shut down, just buried. And you're right, my mother isn't an objective piece of information for Riverdale, but we can be. It'll give the people of this town an unbiased version of the truth and we can find out who killed Jason." Betty said as Will thought about it.

"All right, I'm in." Will said as she nodded. "But it's going to be an uphill battle. You were in LA all summer and everything I know about the investigation is already public knowledge. We're three months behind an active murder investigation with little places to start."

"True, but we both know someone who can help with that." She said as Will smiled.

After he and Betty talked to Principal Weatherbee to get permission to restart the Blue & Gold and Will went to his detention, he drove to Thornhill to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Blossom. He had to do something to get them off of Cheryl's case, it made him sick to think he got one of his friends in trouble like that. Will parked his car in the driveway and knocked on the front door and waited a bit as Mrs. Blossom opened the door.

"Cheryl isn't seeing anyone today." Penelope told him.

"I know, Mrs. Blossom I actually came to speak to you and Mr. Blossom if that's ok." Will said as she hesitated a bit but let him in as Clifford joined them in the foyer. "Mr. Blossom."

"William surprised to see you here." Clifford said.

"I sorry for barging in like this but I had to talk to the both of you. I know Sheriff Keller told you Cheryl and I went to him on Saturday. But it was my idea." Will told them both as they looked at each other. Cheryl who was upstairs overhead Will talking to her parents and stayed hidden behind the wall while she listened. "I was the one who suggested that we go to the Sheriff to tell them about Jason's insane plan. And I knew just as long as Cheryl did. It's my fault and I'm sorry."

"So, you decided to go to the Sheriff without discussing this with either one of us?" Clifford asked as Will nodded.

"I did, and I know it was a huge breach of your trust, but Jason swore me not to say anything. And I only told Sheriff Keller what happened, so he knows the full story and it can help him with his investigation. Don't blame Cheryl for something I did. She loved Jason more than anything and she had nothing to do with his death. It's just Alice Cooper trying to control the narrative." Will said as Cheryl was touched that Will was here to protect her.

"We know that. Leave it to the Coopers to use that gossip rag to their own advantage." Penelope said.

"But I swear to you that Sheriff Keller knows everything we did about what happened to Jason. I know he was your son and I should have told you and I'm sorry that I didn't, and you had to live with not knowing. It's all my fault, please if you want someone to blame, it's me." Will said as Clifford and Penelope looked at each other.

"There's nothing else you know?" Clifford asked.

"No, Mr. Blossom. I told the Sheriff everything." Will said, which was kind of lie because he only knew what Cheryl told him.

"I appreciate you coming forward, William. It says a lot about a man's character that he's willing to own up to his own mistakes." Clifford said as he walked forward and pat Will on the shoulder. "But from now on, if something like this happens again, you come see me first."

"Of course, sir." Will said as Clifford shook his hand.

"Oh, Jason was lucky to have such a friend like you in his life. And thank you for telling us this." Penelope said as Will nodded.

"It's the least I could do. And we will find who killed Jason, Mrs. Blossom, I promise you." Will said as she smiled.

"God bless you, William." She said as she ran her hand across his hair. "If you had red hair you'd be just like a Blossom."

Will felt a little awkward at that statement but just went along with it so as to not ruin the moment.

"I've also gotten word that your mother is back in town and has been registered at the hospital?" Clifford asked as Will nodded. "May I ask why?"

"Leukemia, Mr. Blossom. It's why she came back. The doctors give her a few more months." He said as they nodded.

"We know a specialist in New York. He'll schedule a trip to Riverdale to see your mother and help her however he can." Clifford said as Will nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Blossom." Will replied.

"Please, after everything you've done for our children, this is the least we can do for you." Clifford told him. "And tell your father, if he wants to expand his business, I can get him in touch with the right people."

"Just the help for my mother is enough, Mr. Blossom. I never came here for a reward, but because it was the right thing to do." Will said.

"You truly are one of a kind in Riverdale, William." Clifford said.

"So, I've been told." Will replied.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Penelope asked.

"No, it's fine. I'll head home and check on my dad. Just let Cheryl know that I stopped by." He said as they nodded. "Have a good night."

Will drove back home and entered his house to see Jesse working on a song in the kitchen. She had an acoustic guitar and was writing some lyrics down.

"I follow my heart into the fire. Got burned, got broken down by desire. I tried, I tried but the smoke in my eyes, left me blurry, blurry and blind." Jesse sang as she played the chords.

"Wow, that's really good." Will said as he walked into the kitchen and Jesse looked up and saw Will walk in.

"Hey, didn't see you there." She said as she put wrote down some chords.

"That was really good. New song?" Will asked as he got a class of water.

"Yeah, something I've been working on for a while." She said as she put her guitar down. "Still trying to work out the bridge."

"You've got some serious talent. Riverdale high has a variety show in a month where students perform, maybe you should do something." Will said as he took a sip of water.

"Sounds fun." She said as she organized her sheet music.

"Where's dad?" Will asked.

"He took mom to the hospital. Talk to the doctors there." She said as he nodded.

"There is some good news on that part. I talked to the Blossoms today and they'll send a specialist to the hospital here. She'll get the best help possible." Will said as Jesse nodded.

"Thanks. By the way, he said something about wanting you to pick up dinner from someplace called Pop's?" Jesse asked as Will nodded.

"Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. It's the best place in town for burgers, onion rings, pie and milkshakes. Pretty much everyone in town heads there, I think dad and Rosaline have been there plenty of times." Will said as he grabbed his keys when he got an idea. "You want to come with?"

"Sorry?" Jesse asked.

"Do you want to come with? You can check out Pop's. Since you'll be here in Riverdale, it's pretty much everyone's second home." He said as she smiled.

"Sure." She replied as they walked outside and she saw Will's car. "Whoa."

"Nice, right? Fully restored and tuned." Will said as they got in.

"Think I can borrow it sometime?" She asked as Will turned on the engine.

"Sorry, but not even dad borrows my car." Will said as she chuckled. Will drove them through town as Jesse got a glimpse of her new home. It had the quaint charm of a small town you'd see in movies and TV shows and with the murder of Jason Blossom, an aura of mystery.

They arrived at Pop's diner as Jesse saw the neon sign and it looked like something ripped out of a 50's movie. Will parked the Impala in the parking lot and they got out.

"Whoa. This place belongs in a museum." Jesse said as Will chuckled.

"Maybe but Pop's is timeless. Come on." Will said as they walked in and saw it was the regular crowd of people with some students and adults getting food. Will walked in to see Pop's at the counter.

"Will, good to see you." Pop said.

"Hey, Pop. Here to pick up a dinner order my dad called in." Will said as Pop nodded when he noticed the girl with Will.

"Oh, another date. You sure do move fast, Will." Pop said as Will and Jesse chuckled.

"Oh, nothing like that, Pop. Believe me. But this is a good opportunity to introduce you two. Jesse, this is Pop Tate. His family has own this place for years and is the best place in town for milkshakes and burgers. Pop, this is Jesse Detmer, my sister." Will said as Pop was surprised.

"Hey." Jesse said.

"Sister? I didn't know you had a sister?" Pop asked.

"Recently discovered." Jesse said as Pop nodded.

"Well, any Detmer is welcome into Pops whenever. And we've got a tradition that every new customer gets a milkshake on the house. What flavor?" Pop asked as Jesse looked at Will who nodded.

"Strawberry." Jesse said as Pop nodded.

"Come right up. Your order's almost ready." Pop said as Will nodded as he got to work on Jesse's milkshake.

"This place isn't that bad." Jesse said as Will nodded.

"A lot of good memories in here. Don't worry, this place will feel like home in no time." Will said as Hermione Lodge came out from the kitchen carrying tray of food and placed it on the tables when she saw Will.

"Hi, Will." Hermione said as Will waved.

"Hey, Mrs. Lodge." Will replied.

"Please, Hermione. I prefer it." She said as took some dirty plates. "So, how have you been? Should I expect to see you picking up my daughter anytime soon for another date? She hasn't stopped talking about you?"

Will chuckled as Jesse looked at him. "Haven't got anything planned at the moment, yet. Things have been a little hectic lately." He said as Hermione looked at Jesse. "Oh, right. Uh, Jesse this is Hermione Lodge. She's the mother of Veronica Lodge, a friend of mine. She's actually in the same grade you'll be entering."

"Nice to meet you." Jesse said.

"Same. Are you new to Riverdale?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I got here on Saturday." Jesse said.

"Well, Riverdale has its charms and it'll feel like home in no time. It's nice that Will's showing you around. Is this a date?" Hermione asked as Will and Jesse looked at each other and sighed.

"Something tells me you get asked that a lot." Jesse said as Will chuckled while Hermione was confused.

"It's not what you think, Mrs. Lodge. This is Jesse Detmer, she's my younger sister." Will said as Hermione realized her mistake.

"Oh. I didn't know you had a sister." Hermione said.

"Newly discovered. A lot happened this weekend." Will said as Hermione nodded.

"Well, it's nice to meet another Detmer." Hermione said as she got a good look at Jesse. "You do share a passing resemblance to John, now that I see it. You have his eyes. Well, when you get to school look up Veronica Lodge."

"I will do that." Jesse said as Pop handed Will their order.

"If you don't mind, Mrs. Lodge, could you not tell Veronica about Jesse. I plan to tell her and the others tomorrow. And I'd rather have it so she doesn't blab it out of control." Will said as Hermione nodded.

Will and Jesse went home as John and Rosaline got back from the hospital. Will told them that Clifford Blossom would get Rosaline a specialist to look after her and that everything would be taken care of. They had dinner together as a family and enjoyed themselves as old bonds were repaired while new ones were forged.

Line Break xxxxx

Will was back at school the next day while Jesse stayed home. She'd be joining Riverdale later that week when the paperwork finished going through. Will was with his friends in the student lounge that afternoon and they were talking about the investigation as news that Archie gave his statement made the rounds among the students. Will was dressed in a denim button up, jeans, converse sneakers and a jacket.

"So, are you like a suspect now?" Veronica asked.

"My dad says we all are, including me." Kevin replied as Will sipped his coffee.

"Not me, girl. I don't know these people." Veronica replied.

"Oh, that doesn't get you out of the woods yet." Will said as Veronica looked at him. "You could have done it then moved here to get rid of any suspicion. No one would suspect the new girl as the mastermind of Jason Blossom's murder."

Betty and Archie chuckled while Veronica shot him a playful look. "And you, Willikins?" She asked.

"Probably on the Sheriff's top list of suspects considering I withheld evidence. But I have an alibi; I was with Jughead that entire week." Will said as they chuckled.

"Guys, should we maybe re-binge _Making a Murderer_ on Netflix tonight?" Kevin asked.

"Sorry. Can't. Gotta stay late to work on the paper." Betty said as she handed Will a carrot stick.

"Same." Will replied.

"Count me out, too. I've got a date tonight." Veronica said.

"Really?" Will asked.

"Oh, what's the matter Willikins, jealous?" Veronica asked as Kevin and Betty chuckled while Archie withheld a jealous look.

"First off, that's not sticking. Second, no. Just curious to see which unlucky guy you got your hooks into." Will joked as Veronica threw her pen at him.

"Which Riverdale hottie made the cut?" Kevin asked.

"Hey, Vee-lo." They heard as they saw Chuck leaving with Reggie and Moose. "I'll swing by the Pembrooke to pick you up at 8?"

"I'll be waiting." Veronica said as they left.

"Chuck Clayton—You're going on a date with Chuck?" Betty and Kevin asked.

"He's kind of a player." Betty said.

"Reggie's a player, Chuck's an animal. He's a douche with an ego to match." Will said as Betty choked on her water at that statement.

"Who cares? He's the hottest of hot, and he's the varsity football coach's son. In Riverdale, that's like dating a Kennedy." Kevin said.

"More like dating a Kardashian." Will said as Betty chuckled. "But I will be waiting to see it fall apart so I can say I told you so."

"Oh very funny, Willikins." Veronica said as Will sipped his coffee. "I'm surprised to see you in such a good mood considering how last week went."

"Yeah, everything went ok with your mom?" Betty asked.

"Yeah, that weekend was busy to say the least." Will said.

"Does this have to do with the lady you've been spending time with?" Veronica asked as she raised an eyebrow while everyone else was confused. "My mom said she saw you at Pops with another girl. Two timing on me, Willikins and I thought we had a connection."

"We do and it wasn't a date, believe me. That's actually why I'm glad you brought it up. It has to do with my mom coming back to town." Will said as he finished his coffee and put it down on the table.

"What happened?" Betty asked.

"My dad and I met her. She came and apologized for leaving and that she was back to try and make things right. So that she could know me, and I could know the real her instead of the woman who left when I was 2." Will said as they nodded.

"I was right." Veronica said as Will looked at her. "She wanted to get to know you. And?"

"She explained the other two reasons she came back which leads me to the girl your mom said I was with. It wasn't a date at all, but I was picking up a dinner order and showing her around." Will said.

"Who is she?" Archie asked.

"Her name is Jessica. Jesse…and she's my sister." Will said as they all froze at that statement.

"Uh…ah…what?" Betty said as she tried to figure out the words.

"Yeah, turns out I have a 16-year-old sister I never knew about until now." Will told them. "Believe me, I had the same reaction when I saw her."

"H—how is that possible?" Kevin asked.

"When my mom left, she was pregnant with Jesse. 9 months later, she was born." Will said.

"Oh my god. I wasn't expecting that." Veronica said.

"And how's everything with Jesse?" Archie asked.

"She's settled in. It's been a learning curve. She's my sister but she's also a complete stranger to me. She doesn't know me, and I don't know anything about her, I didn't even know she existed. But I promised her I'd do my best to be the best sibling I could be to her." Will said.

"Well, from our experience, she hit the sibling lottery." Kevin said.

"Yeah, Will. You've been like an older brother to all of us our entire lives. Once you and Jesse get to know each other, you'll be brother and sister." Betty said.

"Thanks, guys. She'll be here in a few days so could you guys do me a favor and look out for her." Will said as they all nodded.

"Oh, definitely. That goes without saying. Your sister now has four new friends and she hasn't even met us yet." Veronica said as she sipped her coffee. "So, what's she like?"

"She's nice. She's really into music. She's actually a musician and song writer." Will said.

"Oh, guess music must run in the Detmer blood." Veronica said.

"Yeah, once she meets Josie I'm sure they'll get along great. Same with you Archie. She's got a lot more experience with writing music, maybe she can help you." Will said as Archie nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds great." Archie replied. "I can't wait to meet her."

"What's the other thing?" Betty asked as they looked at her. "You said there were two reasons your mom came back, and Jesse was one of them. What's the other?"

"Leukemia." Will said as they froze in shock. "It's why she's back, so Jesse would have me and my dad when she's gone."

"Oh my god." Betty said.

"Yeah, so essentially I've been through a roller coaster of emotions this weekend." Will said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Betty reached out and held his hand as he grasped back. "The doctors give her a few more months left. I reached out to the Blossoms and they'll have a specialist come down to help her but that's all I can do."

"All of that happened and you're still you. Any normal guy would be wallowing in self-pity." Veronica said as Will looked at her.

"Glad to know I'm not normal." Will said.

"You know what I mean. But you don't have to go through this alone. You have us." Veronica said.

"I know and that's I why I told you guys. And if you could do me a favor and not tell anyone else. I don't need the schools or the town's pity at this moment." Will said as they nodded.

"Yeah, of course. And if they're anything we can do, just ask." Betty said.

"It might not be like before, but I think I know some doctors in New York that might owe my family a favor. I can make a few calls." Veronica said as Will nodded.

"Again, try to limit who you tell." Will said.

"Of course. Don't worry, Willikins. You won't have to go through this alone." Veronica said as everyone agreed. Will had their backs their entire lives. He was going through hell and he wasn't alone. He had family.

They all went their separate ways as Betty and Will were at the Blue & Gold room waiting for Jughead. Will moved some old tarps and saw the layers of dust on the tables, old computers, and typewriters.

"Jeez, it looks like this stuff hasn't been used in centuries." Will said as he blew off some dust on an old layout board.

"Just needs a little love and attention." Betty said as she dusted the old editors desk as Jughead walked in.

"If print media is dead, why am I here?" Jughead asked.

"The Blue & Gold isn't dead, Juggie, just dormant. But waking up." Betty said as she nervously wrung her hands. "You've been working on a novel, right? About Jason Blossom's murder."

"I am." Jughead said, playing with a magnifying glass. "Riverdale's very own _In Cold Blood_."

"Which started out as a series of articles. Will and I are restarting the Blue & Gold and we want you to come and write for the paper. Give you an outlet for your voice." Betty said.

"I just don't think this is the right place for my voice." Jughead said.

"Which means it's exactly the voice it needs right now." Will said.

"Will's right. Juggie, Jason's death changed Riverdale. People don't want to admit that but it's true, we all feel it. Nothing this bad was ever supposed to happen here but it did. I want to know why." Betty said as Jughead contemplated the decision.

"Will I get complete freedom?" Jughead asked.

"Will and I will help. And edit, and suggest but it's your story, your voice." Betty told him.

"It doesn't sound like complete freedom. But…I'm in." Jughead said as Betty was happy.

"Ok, great." Betty said.

"Now we have your first assignment." Will said as he walked over to the old chalkboard and wrote down _Jason Blossom's Murder_. He then wrote _Suspects and Motive._ "We know how Jason died but before we can delve into who killed him or why, we need to know all the facts of what happened that day. And while Cheryl's intel and Archie's statement give us more to go on, there's still one person who was there on July 4th that no one is talking about."

"Dilton Doiley and his scouts." Jughead said.

"Exactly. Get to work." Betty said as Jughead nodded and thumbed his nose as he left.

Betty and will stayed at the Blue & Gold or a little bit longer to clean the entire room and get everything set up. They dusted everywhere, wiped down all the tables and boards, and update computers that hadn't been in use for over 15 years. Afterward, they went home. Will grabbed some stuff from his locker and was on his way out when he bumped into Cheryl.

"Watch it!" Cheryl said as Will nearly knocked her over but he saved her from falling. "Will."

"Hey. Always wanted to save a damsel in distress this way." Will said as he pulled her up and saw she was wearing her River Vixens uniform. "I'm glad you're back at school."

"My parents were angry but they can't keep me from coming here." Cheryl said as Will chuckled when he remembered their various moments from Saturday.

"Can we talk?" He asked as she nodded and they walked outside by the bleachers while the football team practiced on the field.

"I'm sorry that I got you in trouble with your parents, Cheryl. I never meant for that to happen." He told her.

"I know. You were right though. If I hadn't said anything, then the Sheriff might have come for me at school for lying." She said as he nodded. "And I also heard what you said to my parents. You didn't need to do that."

"No, I did. It was my choice and you were being punished as a result. I had to. For them…and for you." Will said as they stopped near the fence and he decided to take a leap of faith. "We haven't talked about our kiss on Saturday."

"If you want me to apologize for what happened, I'm not—" Cheryl was cut off as Will surprised her with a kiss. She then kissed back as she put her hands on his shoulders as Will's hands made their way around her waist. The kiss was just as passionate and told her everything she needed to know as some of the football players on the field saw them kiss. They finally separated from the kiss as they needed to take breath. Will opened his eyes and saw Cheryl looking at him, her cheeks a bit flushed.

"I never regret anything when it comes to you." He said as he cupped her right cheek. "And I know the timing may be bad with Jason and everything that's going on with me…but I want this."

"So do I. You're the only person who's ever seen the real me. Tina, Ginger, my parents. You weren't scared or threatened to see past that." Cheryl said as she held his hands.

"I don't scare easy. And I want this…all of this. That includes this…" Will said as he laid his index finger on her head. "and this…" Will said as he pointed to her heart.

"I don't know if you're ready for that." Cheryl told him.

"I'm prepared to wait if that's what it takes." Will said as Cheryl kissed him this time and he kissed back. She ran her hands through his hair as Will pulled her close, his hands around her waist.

"That was the right thing to say." Cheryl said as Will smiled and kissed her head. "With you here…everything with Jason has gotten easier. There's this darkness inside of me, Will. And the only thing keeping me from sinking, like my parents…is you."

"I will always be by your side." Will said as she kissed him briefly. "I probably should have realized this a long time ago."

"Oh, I don't know. You're great and the best guy I know, but you weren't date material until you hit puberty." Cheryl said.

"Excuse me?" Will asked.

"Well, you were short, and you weren't as muscular as you are now. Not to mention your hair was kind of weird. After you hit puberty, that's when you shot up to 6ft2, fully muscular, nice hair, and a dashing smile." Cheryl said as Will held his heart in a mock expression of pain.

"Oh, you wound me so, Cheryl Blossom." Will said. "Well, you didn't become Cheryl Bombshell Blossom until high school as well."

"Are you kidding? I was always amazing." Cheryl said as Will pulled her close as kissed her.

"Bombshell or not, Cheryl Blossom is amazing." Will said as Cheryl kissed him again. "So, does this make us official?"

"Definitely. I can't wait to see how everyone reacts to you being off the market." Cheryl said as Will chuckled.

"Probably some broken hearts. Come on." Will said as they left school and went to Pop's for a milkshake before he dropped her off at home.

Line Break xxxxx

The next morning, Will woke up early to take a shower and get dressed in a black button up with the sleeves rolled up, dark jeans, boots and jacket. He walked downstairs and grabbed a banana and left to pick up Cheryl for school. His dad told him Jesse would be starting in a few days which was nice, so Will would show her around. Cheryl was in her room, dressed in a red sleeveless romper with a black garter belt and her signature spider brooch. She finished putting on her cherry flavored lipstick when she got a text from Will.

 **Come outside. I got a surprise for you-** The text read as Cheryl grabbed a black leather jacket, knee high black leather boots and her bag and walked downstairs. She walked out the front door to see Will leaning against his car with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Hey, there. Surprise." Will said as Cheryl walked over.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"What? Can't a boyfriend pick up his girlfriend for school?" Will asked as Cheryl smiled. "And I got you your favorite. Peppermint latte with no whip cream and a dash of cinnamon."

"Oh, I think I might keep you." Cheryl said as she took the coffee. "But first."

Cheryl leaned up and kissed Will as Will kissed back, his right hand making its way around her waist and pulled her close. The kissing got a bit heavy as Cheryl put the coffee down on the hood of his car as her hands made their way to his hair. Will was prepared to pick her up when they heard the front door open and they saw Cheryl's mom there.

"William. I didn't expect to see you here in the morning." Penelope said as she noticed how close Cheryl and Will were.

"Yeah, I wanted to pick up Cheryl for school." Will said.

"And there is actually more to it. Will and I are dating." Cheryl told her mom as they waited for Penelope to respond.

"Well, you picked the perfect boy, Cheryl. Will is a good young man and he'll watch out for you, so you don't make any more mistakes." Penelope said as Cheryl was little hurt from that statement.

"Actually, I think she'll be the one keeping me out of trouble." Will said as he kissed Cheryl on the head. "I'll drop her off after school, Mrs. Blossom."

Penelope nodded as Will and Cheryl got in his car and drove away. When they stopped at the street intersection, Cheryl reached over and kissed him as he kissed back. "What was that for?" he asked.

"For being you." She said as he kissed her again.

"So, can I expect more of those?" He asked as she chuckled and kissed his nose.

"You'll have to earn them." She said as Will chuckled and drove them to school.

Will parked in the school parking lot as he and Cheryl walked into school very close together, his arm around her waist. They talked to each other as they walked up the steps to school and everyone saw how close they were and the rumor that some of the football team spread that they kissed. For those who heard that rumor and saw them now, it definitely seemed like they were dating.

They walked into school and down the hall to their lockers. While they were enjoying themselves, Archie was in the music room talking to Ms. Grundy.

"Why did you tell them about the gunshot?" Grundy asked.

"They were gonna crucify Cheryl, I had to help her." Archie told her.

"But you were in the clear, we were in the clear." Grundy said.

"I left your name out of it, so it's not that big of a deal." Archie said.

"Not that big a deal? Archie, you are caught up in a murder investigation. What if Sheriff Keller decides to keep digging and it somehow leads to us, to our relationship?" She asked.

"I'll stick to my story, I'll protect you." Archie said as Grundy was still nervous and paranoid.

"I'm suspending our lessons." She said as she turned to leave.

"What? Geraldine, you can't." Archie told her, grabbing her arm and stopping her from leaving.

"It's too dangerous for us to be seen together. With the sheriff's investigation and with Will knowing." Grundy told him.

"Wait, what? What does Will know?" Archie asked.

"He knows about us, Archie. He even has a picture. I can't be seen with you." Grundy said as she left.

Will and Cheryl departed ways as he made his way to his locker to get his books. He grabbed the books he needed for his morning classes and grabbed his sketchpad when he saw Archie walk up to him with a stern and angry expression.

"We need to talk." Archie told him as they moved to a vacant corner of the hallway. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Archie shouted as him and even pushed him against the wall. "Why did you go to Ms. Grundy?"

"I did that for you, Archie. What the hell were you thinking getting into a relationship with a 30-year old teacher at our school?!" Will replied as Archie backed down a bit. "Jughead and I saw you two in the music room and to be honest, it solved a lot of questions of how you were acting since the summer."

"She had nothing to do with that." Archie said as Will was buying that.

"Jughead told me everything. I know that she's the reason you bailed on us on July 4th and she told you not to tell Sheriff Keller about the gunshot." Will told him. "Archie, she's toxic, ok. Even if she wasn't a 30-year old cougar, she made you cut out your friends and told you not to say anything about a murder investigation. And the only reason for that was to save her own skin."

"You don't know that. You don't know her." Archie told him.

"And you think you do? Archie, she's a predator. She tracked down a young student to have stupid, and might I add, illegal relationship." Will told him.

"Grundy's different. I like her and she likes me and now she won't see me for our music lessons." Archie told him.

"You're delusional. And even if you do like her and it was consensual, she's 30 and your 16. That's still statutory rape and that will result in jail for her and a huge embarrassment for you and your family. I did you a favor. Now I'm sorry, if it ruined your music lessons but there's a better, less illegal way for you to pursue your music." Will said as he walked down the hall but turned around. "And FYI, I could have gone to the Principal and the Sheriff and said I saw her with a student. I could have sold her under the bus and kept you safe. It's all I've ever done is keep you out of trouble, but you still have a way of finding it."

Will left to go to class and it helped to take his mind of the whole Grundy and Archie situation. It was free period for Will before lunch and Archie was just finishing gym. Will walked through the halls and met up with Betty and Kevin at Veronica's locker.

"So? How'd it go with Chuck?" Kevin asked as Veronica chuckled.

"Chuck has muscles for days but his conversation isn't the stuff of Oscar Wilde or Diablo Cody." Veronica said as Kevin, Betty, and Will chuckled. "But it didn't end like you said, Willikins. So, you can keep the I told you so."

"Oh, I don't know. The day's still young." Will joked.

"But this does free me up. So, how about a date?" Veronica asked as Will chuckled.

"You sure move fast." Will replied.

"And may be barking up the wrong tree, because rumor reached my ear that some of the football players saw you and a River Vixen making out by the bleachers." Kevin said as Betty and Veronica looked at him in shock while Will glanced at them.

"Will, did you meet someone?" Betty asked, shocked he kissed someone given his track record.

"Willikins! I'm hurt. Who stole you from me?" Veronica asked, half joking but half serious.

"Sorry, ladies. A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." Will replied as Veronica raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, now I'm even more interested." Veronica joked as Betty and Kevin chuckled when Tina and Ginger walked by.

"Hey, Veronica how was the Sticky Maple?" Tina asked.

"The what?" She replied.

"The Sticky Maple Chuck gave you?" Ginger asked as they walked past them.

"We had a Brownie Sundae if that's what you hyenas mean." Veronica said as Kevin, Betty, and Will's phone went off with a notification and they saw a photo.

"Oh my god." Kevin said.

"What?" Veronica asked as she took the phone and saw the photo she and Chuck took last night with what looked like maple syrup on her face.

"What the hell is a sticky maple?" Veronica asked as some of the guys in the hallway laughed at her.

"Beat it!" Will told them as they hurried away.

"It's kind of what it sounds like. It's a Riverdale thing." Kevin told her.

"No, Kevin it's a slut-shaming thing. And I'm neither a slut nor am I going to be shamed by someone named, excuse me, Chuck Clayton." Veronica told him. "Does he really think he can get away with this? Does he not know who I am?"

"Chuck's an established Alpha-dog. He thinks he's untouchable." Will told her.

"No one is untouchable. I will cut the brakes on his souped-up phallic symbol." Veronica told him.

"Or we can go to Principal Weatherbee." Betty said.

"About the coach's son? Who is captain of the football team, and Riverdale High's resident golden boy?" Veronica asked.

"Or Will and I can expose him in the pages of the _Blue and Gold_. Yeah, we can do that!" Betty told her.

"No. Spoken like a true good girl who always follows the rules. Well, I don't follow rules, I make them, and when necessary, I break them." Veronica said as she shoved Kevin's phone into him, shoved him and Will out of the way and stormed down the hall. "You wanna help me get revenge on Chuck, Betty. Awesome. But you better be willing to go full dark, no stars. What do you say, in or out?"

"Ronnie, wait up." Will said as he and Kevin followed her and Betty as she stormed into the boy's locker room, shoving boys out of her way.

"Excuse me." Veronica said as she dragged Betty who tried to cover her face.

"Whoa, Ronnie!" Will shouted as he took off his jacket and gave it to Betty.

"Thanks." She said as she covered her head. Veronica bumped into Archie by accident and nearly made him drop his towel.

"Veronica. Betty, what are you guys doing here?" Archie asked.

"Don't worry about it." Veronica said as Archie tried to stop her, but she moved him out of the way. "I mean it, Andrews. Hit the showers and stay out of my way."

Veronica made her way through the locker room where Chuck was talking to Moose. "Huh, B and V. Menage a right on. Ladies." Chuck said as Veronica held up her phone and showed him the photo.

"This is disgusting. Take it down." Veronica told him.

"Whoa, whoa. Why are you so wound up?" Chuck said as some of the guys laughed. "It's a badge of honor and you're not exactly virgin territory after your closet date with Andrews. After you cheated on him with Detmer."

"Okay, that's beyond irrelevant, Chuck. You're not allowed to go around humiliating girls for any reason, under any circumstances, you jerk." Betty told him.

"Look, I get you're not a closet kind of girl, but hey, if you wanna ride the Chuck Wagon, that can be arranged." Chuck said as Betty was disgusted, and Will was starting to lose his patience.

"Let's keep this simple, so that your preppy-murderer half-brain can grasp it. Take. This. The Hell. Down." Veronica warned him.

"Okay, that high-toned bitch attitude may have worked on the betas you dated in New York, but you're in Bulldog territory." Chuck said as Moose and a bunch of the other guys barked. "But please, fight back."

"Clayton!" Will shouted as everyone who was laughing immediately shut up and backed away as they saw Will was serious. Will took off his backpack, put it on the ground and walked in front of Veronica and Betty. "I'm going to give you the chance to apologize for what you said to Betty and Veronica. I suggest you take it."

"Never figured you for the she-bitch type Detmer. Guess the wolf of Riverdale isn't as big of an animal as I thought." Chuck said with a chuckle but no one else laughed seeing how dead serious Will was.

"It's called class and decency, Clayton. Something you would know if your pea sized brain could handle it. Now, I'm going to give you one…last…chance. Apologize, now." Will said.

"Or what?" Chuck challenged him.

"Or I make you." He said as everyone could cut the tension in the room with a knife. "And Moose, if you think about charging me with your idiots, don't. I can do a lot worse to you then I did to Reggie."

Moose and his friends backed off, knowing that Will was serious. "Last warning. Apologize." Will told him.

"Tell me something, Detmer. What do you care if some washed-up girl from New York is a little pissy? I mean she did dump you for Andrews at the dance. What's the matter, can't keep control of your women?" Chuck asked as Veronica still felt a little bad about that while Will didn't let it get to him.

"Date, friend, or whatever. No one deserves to this, especially by a low-life like you." Will replied.

"Maybe you'd feel different if it was Cheryl in the photo." Chuck said as Will's heart began pounding and his hands tightened into fists. Archie had gotten dressed and walked over and saw Will was ready to explode. "I saw you guys at the bleachers the other day. So, tell me. How long have you had her on her knees?!

 **[BAM!]** Before anyone could react, Will slammed Chuck into the locker with enough force that it bent the metal. Chuck actually felt the impact and his body hurt as Will reared his fist back, hell bent on driving it through his face and would have, had Archie not ran up and grabbed his arm.

"Will, stop." Archie told him, getting him to stop as everyone saw Archie saved Chuck from a serious beating.

"Will, don't. He's not worth it." Betty told him as Will glared at Chuck with burning hatred.

"Will, come on. You don't want to do this." Archie told him as Will reluctantly let Chuck go, but not before kneeing him in the nuts, sending him to his knees.

"Consider that your last warning. I'd do what Veronica says before it gets worse." Will warned him as he grabbed his backpack and left the locker room, everyone moving out of his way so as to not feel his wrath.

Once Will got into the hallway, he dropped his backpack down and exhaled, running his hands through his hair, trying to come down from that adrenaline and rage fueled high. "Son of a bitch." Will said as he kicked the wall in frustration.

"I didn't need you to do that." Veronica told him.

"I didn't do that for you. Chuck got on my nerves." Will said as he sharply exhaled, venting his frustration. Betty walked over and handed Will his jacket.

"Thanks." She said as Will nodded.

"No problem. Believe me, Chuck is not getting away from this unscathed. No one deserves what Chuck did, least of all you, Ronnie." Will told her.

"And he won't. Not if I have anything to say about it. But thanks for sticking up for us." She said as Will nodded. "What did mean about you and Cheryl?"

"This isn't the time or place. I'll see you guys later." Will said as he walked away.

"Where are you going?" Betty asked.

"To clear my head." Will replied as he needed to calm down. He didn't want to have another outburst like that and snap at his friends, so he went outside to the track field and listened to music.

He came back after free period and had lunch and continued on with the rest of his school day.

Archie was in class as everyone was quiet and doing their assignment. He was thinking about what happened between Veronica and Chuck and his new dilemma with Grundy. He was deep in thought while everyone else was doing their assignment.

"Psst. Archie." Archie heard as he looked around and saw Cheryl looking at him. "Thanks to you I'm not longer the girl who cried gunshot. No one besides Will believe me, not even my parents."

"I just told the truth." Archie whispered back.

"Which is why I want to repay your kindness." Cheryl replied.

"Cheryl, truly that's not why I came forward." Archie told her.

"Save the aw shucks for Betty. I'm granting you one wish, Archie. Nothing is off the table. Except for my body, I'm off the market." Cheryl said as Archie looked at her funny. "Jason would want you to be rewarded."

"Actually, there is one thing." Archie said. Later that day, Josie came to Archie saying that he could come watch and observe the Pussycat's practice sessions for the Taste of Riverdale performance.

After school and going to his detention, Will made his way to the _Blue & Gold_ because Betty told him she had something on what Chuck did to Veronica. And speaking of Veronica, she had gone home after school to do her homework but instead saw all the horrible comments people made about her because of Chuck's picture. She scrolled through the comments and wished that she could go back in time and not go on that date with Chuck. She saw her mom walk into the room, tying her apron and quickly put her phone down and got back to work.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask. How was your date last night?" Hermione asked. "He was kind of cute."

"The more handsome on the outside, the more rotten on the inside." Veronica said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing, just that he's not really my type." Veronica said as Hermione nodded.

"Then is there hope for you and Will?" Hermione asked as Veronica chuckled.

"Maybe." She replied.

"Oh, you've gone on a date before. What's wrong with another?" Hermione asked as Veronica remembered the night of the dance where she kissed Will and then Archie. Will said it was fine but she still felt a little guilty about what happened.

"I kind of betrayed his trust a bit. He said it was fine, but I still feel a little guilty." Veronica said as Hermione held her hand.

"Well, Will isn't the kind of guy who holds grudges. His father wasn't and I think Will's a lot like him." Hermione said.

"How well did you know Will's dad?" Veronica asked as Hermione sat down next to her.

"Oh, as well as you know Will. John was…a very good friend. He's someone who was always there for me when I needed it. We stayed in touch after high school." Hermione told her.

"You two weren't a thing, were you?" Veronica asked as Hermione chuckled.

"No, we weren't. But it's not too late for you two. Will's unique in Riverdale." Hermione said as Veronica nodded.

"He is. He's not like any other boy I've met." Veronica said as Hermione noted that Veronica did seem to care about him.

"And that's a good thing. Don't let this opportunity slip by. We came to Riverdale for a new start, use it." Hermione said as Veronica got a text on her phone from Betty saying to meet her at the _Blue & Gold_ office.

"Hey, mom, I've got to go." Veronica said as she grabbed her bag and went back to school.

She walked through the halls and into the Blue & Gold Office to see Will and Betty with 7 other girls waiting. "What's going on?" Veronica asked.

"It turns out this story is bigger than we thought." Betty said.

"After what happened with you, Betty and I asked around to see if anything like what happened to you happened to anyone else. If anyone was willing to talk." Will said.

"I will. 100%." Ethel said as Betty nodded.

"It's 5 guys on the football team. Chuck and his posse. Ethel was just about to tell us." Betty said as Ethel took a breath.

"One day last year Chuck and I talked in the library for ten minutes. I helped him with a Pre-calc problem and nothing happened. But the next day he…he started telling people that I…let him do stuff to me, like sex stuff. And then he or one of his goons wrote sloppy seconds on my locker." Ethel said as Cheryl walked in.

"Yes, yes we've all heard your tragic origin story." Cheryl said.

"I'm so sorry, Ethel." Betty said as Will took a deep breath. "That's so horrible."

"Not as horrible as being a suspect in your own brother's torture murder case, but we all have our own crosses to bear. In the meantime, River Vixen practice starts in 5 minutes, sluts so—""They're ruining our lives and to them it's just a game. They keep score." Ethel said, interrupting Cheryl.

"Wait, what? What do you mean they keep score?" Will asked.

"Each conquest earns them points. They keep track in some secret playbook." Ethel said as everyone was disgusted.

"That son of a bitch is a dead man." Will said as he stood up.

"Ok, we have to talk to Weatherbee." Betty said.

"I already tried. Weatherbee said he didn't find anything." Ethel said.

"Well, he obviously didn't try hard enough. Chuck's an idiot. We find that thing, we expose him and friends." Will said as Betty nodded.

"Will's right. We need undeniable proof." Betty said.

"Proof of what, Nancy Drew? That boys will be boys? And that playbook reeks of urban legend." Cheryl said.

"And how would you know, Frida Shallow?" Veronica asked.

"Because before he died, my brother was co-captain of the football team with Chuck. And Jason never mentioned it, and he never would have allowed it." Cheryl said.

"Jason might not have known. Chuck could have done this behind his back." Will told her.

"Ok, I never met your brother, Cheryl. But I'm not lying about what happened to me. And Ethel's not lying. And proof or no proof, book or no book, I'm going scorched earth on these privilege despicable miscreants. You want to catch the backdraft, Cheryl. Call me or any of these beautiful, young, strong, intelligent woman sluts. One. More. Time." Veronica said as Cheryl was a bit taken back by her fierceness.

Will stood up and got in-between the two so a fight didn't break out. "Easy, Ronnie. Cheryl's not saying that. But if that proof exists, we're finding it." Will told them as they nodded. "Cheryl, can I speak to you for a second?"

Will and Cheryl moved to the hall to speak in private. "There's no way that book exists. Jason would never allow that to happen on his watch." Cheryl told him as Will nodded.

"I know, I have a hard time believing it myself but it sounds like something Chuck would do." Will told her.

"It can't be real." Cheryl told him.

"Maybe, maybe not but if it is, I don't think Jason knew about it. I agree with you. I knew Jason too and he would never be a part of something like this. But he's not god or some omnipotent being. Chuck could have done in this secret behind his back without him ever knowing." Will told her as she nodded. "Look, I know you want to protect his memory, so do I. But what Chuck and his group have been doing is inexcusable. If it was you that Chuck did that too, I know you'd be going full Carrie on him and I'd have that bastards head beneath my foot."

"Always looking out for people, aren't you?" She said as he nodded.

"Always, no matter what, I will always be there. Especially for you." Will said as Cheryl smiled and kissed him as he kissed back. The two lovingly kissed one another until they broke apart, both taking a breath. "I promise you, when we get to the bottom of this, I'll prove Jason had nothing to do with this."

Line Break xxxxx

Will drove Cheryl home and then went back to the Blue & Gold to help Betty when Ethel brought Trevor to them. He was on the football team until he quit when he saw Chuck's playbook and thinks he knows where it is. So, Betty, Will, Kevin, Veronica, and Ethel would go to school later that night to see. Since Betty and Will ran the Blue & Gold, Weatherbee gave them keys to the school in case they needed to stay late or come early to write for the paper and since Weatherbee could trust Betty and Will with them it wasn't that big of a deal.

They walked down the halls with flashlights to the locker room where Trev said it would be. "Football players behaving badly, what else is new? Steubenville, Glen Ridge. The coach's son being the ringleader. I mean, just how depraved is this town?" Veronica asked.

"Might not want to pull on that thread." Will told her.

"Color me impressed." They heard as they all jumped in shocked. They turned to see Cheryl there in the hall. She was wearing a black choker, leather jacket, a red dress and thigh-high boots. When Will saw her, she took his breath away but he quickly adjusted himself. "A B and E with B and V. What would your holy roller mother say about this, Betty?"

"What are you doing here, Cheryl?" Betty asked.

"And where did you get those thigh-high boots? They're amazing." Kevin said as Betty hit him.

"Trev told Valerie, who told Josie, who told Ginger, who told Tina, who told me. And I thought I would help out." Cheryl said.

"Help or derail our investigation?" Betty asked as Cheryl shined her flashlight in her face.

"Get over yourself, Betty." Cheryl said.

"All right, let's get this over with before someone else finds us." Will told them as they moved into the locker room. Will hung back a bit and got close to Cheryl. "Love the boots."

"Oh, than I might have to wear them again, when it's just the two of us." She said as Will smiled.

"Or how about this Saturday? What do you say, you and me? Date?" He asked as she smiled.

"Definitely. Just tell me when and where?" She asked as they walked into the locker room and Ethel walked up to the locker Trev said the book was in but it was locked.

"It's locked." Ethel said.

"Guess Chuck is smarter than he looks." Veronica said as Will walked forward.

"I have doubts about that." Will said as he knelt down and looked at the lock. He pulled out a Swiss army knife from his pocket and pulled out the tweezers and lock pick.

"What are you doing?" Veronica asked as Will put the lock pick in and got to work.

"I locked my keys in the Impala once. My dad showed me how to pick the lock and get back in. Not exactly something I advertise but now it seems to come in handy." Will said as he tried getting the pick to lock but couldn't. "Dammit. It's harder than it looks."

"Probably because it's illegal." Kevin said.

"Kevin, we're in school at night trying to find a playbook about the football team's horrible treatment against girls. Lock picking seems like the lesser of two evils." Will said as he managed to get it. He then turned it and unlocked the locker. "And there you go."

"Not bad." Cheryl said as Will opened the locker and pulled out a leather-bound book.

"It's real." Will said as he handed it to Ethel who opened up the pages and saw a lot of names in the book. She turned the page and next to Chuck's name was _Veronica (New girl Bonus +1)._

"New girl? Is that what I'm reduced to? Nine points?" Veronica asked.

"Better than big girl. 7.5" Ethel said as she turned the page and to their shock they saw Will's name. "Will, you're the book."

"What?" Will asked as he looked at the page and to his shock he saw his name there along with the name of 5 girls. Brandy, Maria, and Katie were the three girls he went on dates with a while ago and Veronica and Cheryl were there as well.

"Oh my god." Betty said.

"Guys, I had nothing to do with this. Believe me, I would never do this." Will told them as they looked at him.

"Then why is your name in here?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know. I never told Chuck any of this." Will told her.

"I think he's right. Brandy, Maria, and Katie told me the details of the date." Kevin said.

"We believe you, Will. But how did Chuck know?" Betty asked.

"I don't know. I get how he knows about Veronica, but not about Brandy, Maria, and Katie." Will said as Veronica looked at Will's name and saw Cheryl was the most recent name on his list. "Cheryl, Veronica, believe me I would never do this to either of you."

"And I believe you." Cheryl said as Will smiled.

"Chuck's a fucking dead man." Will said in anger as Betty saw Polly's name next to Jason.

"Polly's in this book." Betty said.

"Next to Jason's name." Cheryl said.

"I'm so sorry, Betty." Veronica said.

"This isn't…Jason would never…" "It's right there, Cheryl!" Betty told her. "God, your brother hurt my sister. This is what guys like Jason and Chuck think about women. We're objects for them to abuse. And when they're done with us, they shame us into silence. They have zero remorse for the lives they destroy."

"Maybe I don't know Jason." Cheryl said.

"No, I knew him. He would never do this." Will said as Betty just shook her head.

"I'll take a picture; we'll show this to Weatherbee. It'll be the perfect cover for your expose, Betty." Veronica said.

"Yeah, but…no. These girls deserve justice, don't you think, Cheryl? You want vengeance. You wanna go full dark, no stars, Veronica? I'm with you. And I have a plan." Betty said.

"I'm in." Will told them as they nodded. They put the book back and locked it as Betty went back home to enact part 1 of her plan. Will walked Cheryl to her car as she was still grappling with the revelation of what she saw.

"I guess I really didn't know Jason." Cheryl said.

"No, Cheryl. You can't think like that. For all we know, his name could have been in there the same reason mine was. I would never do that to you, believe me." Will said as he cupped her face.

"I believe you." Cheryl replied as Will kissed her forehead.

"Then believe me now when I say I'll get to the bottom of this. I will prove to you that Jason had nothing to do with this." Will told her.

"Why are you doing this?" Cheryl asked.

"Because I know how important your brother was to you, and you're important to me." Will said as Cheryl smiled. Will leaned down and kissed her as she kissed back.

Veronica was walking to her car when she saw Will kissing Cheryl and a ping of jealousy ran through her. That's why Cheryl's name was next to his and what Chuck meant when he brought up Cheryl and Will snapped. The two were dating.

The next day after school, Will met with Betty and Veronica in the halls to discuss the plan against Chuck. Betty had asked him last night and Ethel allowed them to use her pool house for their plan. They'd get Chuck there and get him into confessing the truth about Veronica and the book.

"So, we're all set for tonight?" Will asked.

"Yeah, Ethel's parents are going to be at the Taste of Riverdale thing so we won't have any interruptions." Betty said as Will nodded and pulled out a small audio recorder.

"And once we get everything we need, we take Chuck and his group down." Will said as Betty nodded.

"When Veronica and I are ready, we'll text you when to come." Betty said as Will nodded. He looked at Veronica and noticed she seemed deep in thought about something. Betty's phone went off with a text from Jughead. "It's Jughead, he says to head to the _Blue & Gold_."

"I'll meet you there." Will said as Betty left. "Everything ok, Ronnie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said as she adjusted herself.

"Don't worry about, Chuck. He's going to get what's coming to him." Will said as Veronica nodded but Will could still tell something was wrong.

"Yeah, I'll see you later." Veronica said as Will stopped her.

"Whoa, wait. Ronnie, what's wrong?" Will asked.

"It's nothing, Will." Veronica said as Will raised an eyebrow.

"Will, not Willikins? All right, somethings up. Come on, Ronnie. I'm your friend and I can tell that something's bothering you. What's wrong?" He asked as Veronica sighed.

"Ok. Last night, after we found Chuck's playbook, I saw you and Cheryl kissing." Veronica said as Will nodded.

"Oh…yeah." Will said as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's something I've been meaning to tell you guys, but things have been a little crazy. I'm sorry you had to find out that way."

"No, it's fine. We weren't a thing so there's no issue." Veronica said.

"Maybe, but there was something going on between us and you didn't deserve to find out that way. I'm sorry." Will told her.

"It's no big deal. Besides, maybe its karmic payback for what I did to you." Veronica said.

"Whoa, Ronnie, stop with that already. Like I said before, I don't blame you for what happened. Stop beating yourself up over that, it wasn't like you cheated on me on our wedding day." Veronica blushed when Will said that and he realized what he said. "You know what I meant. You said you didn't want to be the same girl you were in New York, and I believe you. But you keep beating yourself over something like this; you're not going to be able to move one. I have, so should you."

"If you say so." Veronica said as Will nodded.

"I do and again, I don't blame, hate, or hold a grudge against you for what happened. It's against my programing." Will joked as Veronica managed a smirk. "Maybe, Archie because he's an idiot but not you."

Veronica chuckled and Will smiled. "Ok, we're good." Veronica said.

"And I'm sorry for not telling you about me and Cheryl. Especially if you thought there was something between us." Will said.

"I guess she got to you before I could." Veronica said. "When?"

"Over the weekend we had a moment, and two days ago we kind of made it official." Will told her.

"Well, I'm happy for you and I'm pissed at her for stealing you from me. I mean, Cheryl Blossom?" Veronica asked as Will chuckled.

"If I knew you back in New York, would you be saying the same thing?" He asked as she reluctantly nodded.

"Ok, point Willikins." Veronica replied.

"Cheryl's a lot of things but when you get to know her like I do, you come to appreciate everything. When you put up a wall, sometimes people fail to see the real you and I've managed to get past that wall." Will told her.

"You really care about her, don't you?" She asked as Will nodded.

"I do. I care about all my friends and that includes you too, Ronnie." Will said as she smiled. "Sorry, we couldn't figure out if we had a shot, but that does free you up to find someone else."

"Yeah, but I don't think there's anyone else worth dating in this whole town." Veronica said as Will thought for a moment.

"That is…maybe true. I'd steer clear of Archie. I love the dude but he's not the greatest in terms of relationships." Will said as Veronica chuckled.

"Yeah, I think for the sake of my friendship with Betty, I'll steer clear of Archie." Veronica said as she moved some hair behind her ear. "Besides, after our moment at the dance and getting to know you, Archie's isn't as great as Will Detmer."

"Well, don't put me on a pedestal. Still, I hope you find someone, Ronnie." Will said as they hugged.

"It would have been great. The new girl and the Wolf of Riverdale, kind of had the marks of a romance novel. Would have been a relationship to end all relationships." Veronica said as Will leaned in to her ear.

"You have no idea." He whispered and kissed her cheek. He walked to the Blue & Gold office as Veronica sighed, beating down a blush as she watched him watch away.

"Why couldn't he have a twin?" Veronica asked as she left while Will made his way to the Blue & Gold Office.

"Wait, back up. Dilton Doily fired the gun on the 4th of July?" Will asked as Jughead nodded.

"Yeah, when I asked him about that day I noticed one of his scouts wanted to say something. He was teaching them to shoot targets, in some kind of crazy hometown militia thing." Jughead said.

"Well, that thing is also a misdemeanor weapons violation and not to going to end well." Will said.

"I guess he didn't know anything. We were just chasing our tails." Betty said.

"Our own red herring." Will said as Betty looked at him. "It's a literary term for a mis-direct or a piece of information people think has importance but ultimately doesn't."

"Maybe, maybe not but Doily can't go around forming his own Children of the Corn. I'll talk to him tonight and have him come in to the Blue & Gold and make a statement." Jughead said as they nodded.

"Right, keep us posted. Afterward, we'll refocus our attention on the Jason investigation." Will said as he looked at the board.

Line Break xxxxx

It was the night of the Taste of Riverdale event as well as the night Chuck Clayton was getting what he deserved. The plan was to have Chuck go over to Ethel's pool house under the pretense of a date and get him to confess the truth about what he did. Will was with his parents and Jesse at the Taste of Riverdale thing but as soon as Veronica or Betty texted him, he was leaving. They arrived and mingled as Jesse and Rosaline got their first good taste of Riverdale.

Mayor McCoy took the stage to make an announcement. "Welcome all, to the first annual Taste of Riverdale. As a lead-up to our 75th anniversary jubilee, this event proves that Riverdale truly is a town that, when tragedy knocks us down, we get right back up! Bon appetit!" Mayor McCoy said as everyone clapped.

"That was Mayor McCoy, basically in charge and the mother of a good friend of mine." Will told Jesse.

"Right. So, is this what Riverdale is about? Hometown charm, old diners and little mixers?" Jesse asked as she took a homemade soda sample.

"More often than not. But there's still plenty of fun to be had." Will told her as she nodded when he saw Cheryl with Tina and Ginger as she waved, and Will waved back.

"Don't tell me, another girl people think you're dating?" Jesse asked as Will chuckled.

"No, the girl I'm actually dating." Will said as Cheryl walked over. "Hey, angel."

"Hey, Willie." Cheryl said as she hugged him, and he kissed her head.

"I'm glad you're here so I can finally introduce you two. Cheryl, allow me to introduce you to Jesse Detmer, my sister. Jesse, this is Cheryl Blossom, my girlfriend." Will told her as Jesse nodded.

"Nice to meet you." Jesse said as Cheryl was instantly smiley and brought her close for a hug. Jesse looked at Will in confusion causing Will to chuckle.

"So, your Jesse. Well, it's nice to know that the Detmer genes not only lead to handsome arm candy but gorgeous ladies as well. Once you get to school, all the guys are going to be over you." Cheryl said.

"Yeah, looking forward to that." Jesse said sarcastically.

"And don't worry. I'll be there to teach you the ropes. I'm Riverdale High's resident HBIC, Cheryl Bombshell Blossom and I'll help show you around. I'm Captain of the River Vixens, Riverdale's premier Cheerleaders. You should definitely join." Cheryl told her.

"I'm not sure. I tried Cheerleading in middle school. It wasn't my thing." Jesse told her.

"Well, you've never done Cheerleading unless it's with the Vixens. Plus, it automatically establishes you with the top of the school's social hierarchy. Myself included along with Tina and Ginger. Come along, I'll introduce you." Cheryl said as she grabbed Jesse's hand and dragged her away.

"Actually, I'm ok. Will, help." Jesse said, pleading for help.

"Go have fun, Jesse. Get to know Cheryl as well as I do." Will said, chuckling as Jesse looked like she was going to murder him.

"I'll see you later, Willie." Cheryl said as she kissed him on the cheek.

" _I'm going to kill you_." Jesse whispered as she was dragged away.

"Will?" Will turned to see his dad and mom with platters of sampler food. "Where's Jesse?"

"Getting acquainted with Cheryl." Will said.

"Ah. Should we go save her?" John joked.

"No, let them to know each other. It'll be good that Jesse knows Cheryl as well as I do since we're dating." Will said as John raised an eyebrow.

"Dating, since when?" John asked.

"Recently. I decided to take your advice dad and give it a shot. Won't know what happens until I try." Will said as John smiled.

"And I'm glad. How has it been so far?" John asked as Will smiled.

"Best decision I've made in a long time." Will said as Rosaline smiled. "Mom, anyone giving you a hard time?"

"No, everyone's been very kind and supportive so far." Rosaline said. "Although, I haven't run into Alice Cooper yet."

"Yeah, I love Betty and all but probably be a good idea to stay that off for a long as possible." Will said as John nodded.

"Agreed." John said as they walked over to Pop's table and saw Fred Andrews. "Hey, Fred."

"Hey, John. Rosaline, good to see you." Fred said as they hugged.

"You too, Fred." Rosaline said as Hermione came back to the booth with more samples.

"Rosaline, good to see you again." Hermione said as Rosaline smiled and they hugged.

 **[SMACK]** Everyone heard as they turned and saw Penelope Blossom had slapped Alice Cooper across the face as Clifford Blossom pulled her away and Sheriff Keller kept the two apart.

"How dare you, Alice Cooper! Printing my son's autopsy? He was tortured and shot and thrown in the river like a piece of garbage." Penelope said as she broke down crying.

"Hey, uh Riverdale! We are Josie and the Pussycats, are you ready to rock?!" Josie said as they started a very catchy and R&B inspired beat as people began clapping.

"Hmmm, not bad." Will said when his phone buzzed with a text. He opened it and it was Veronica with a message _It's time_.

"Hey, dad. I've got to go see a friend. I'll see you at home." Will said as John nodded. He walked away and went to see Cheryl really quickly and saw her and Jesse with Tina and Ginger. "Hey, you two. Hope you are getting along."

"Definitely, Willie. Hard to believe she's your sister." Cheryl said as Jesse mouthed help.

"Well, I'm glad you two are getting along. I need to head out but I'll see you both later." Will said as he kissed Cheryl goodbye and left the Taste of Riverdale, texting Veronica that he was on his way.

Will drove to Ethel's house and parked down the street so Chuck didn't see his car. He walked up to Ethel's pool house and lightly knocked on the door. "Ronnie, it's me." Will whispered.

"Come in." Veronica said as Will went in and closed the door behind him to see Veronica in a one-piece bathing suit with a silky shawl around her shoulders. "Good you're here."

"Whoa, you and Betty really want to stick it to Chuck don't you?" Will asked as Veronica looked at his face.

"What's the matter, Willikins? Nervous?" She asked.

"No…just wasn't expecting the swimsuit." Will said as Veronica smirked.

"Well, I had to play the part. Is it making you uncomfortable?" Veronica asked in a sultry voice as she walked up to him and Will cleared his voice.

"No. I'm fine. It's not like it's the first time I've seen a girl in a swimsuit." Will said as Veronica raised an eyebrow.

"But it's the first time you've seen me in one. And not to sound like the old me but I know I always turn heads when I'm wearing one." Veronica said.

"Then it's a good plan to lure Chuck here." Will said as Veronica closed the distance between the two, getting very close and as she leaned in.

"And you, Willikins?" Veronica asked.

"What about me, Ronnie?" Will asked as Veronica coyly got closer, with their lips almost touching.

"How do you feel about me in the swimsuit?" Veronica asked.

"You look great." Will said as Veronica chuckled.

"Oh, is that all you have to say?" Veronica asked as Will managed the will power to back away.

"Great, amazing, beautiful. All those words, Ronnie. Sheez, what you trying to do to me." Will said as Veronica chuckled. Will then heard the sound of a car pulling up to the house. "He's here."

"Ok, just stay out of sight until we're ready." Veronica said as Will went to hide behind the wall and Veronica hit play on the speakers, playing music.

Chuck arrived and knocked on the door to the pool house as Veronica opened it. "You're not Betty." Chuck said.

"Betty and I talked it over and we decided it's time to stop fighting over Archie…and start learning to share." Veronica said as she walked in and Chuck followed, closing the door behind him.

"Nice." Chuck said.

"Isn't it? It gets very, very hot." Veronica said as she removed her shawl. She looked over where Will was and winked as he just shook his head. She then walked over to the hot tube. "Come on, let's get wet."

Veronica sat down and put her legs in the water. "Uh, shouldn't we wait for Betty to get here first?" Chuck asked as they heard the door open and he, Veronica and Will were shocked. In walked Betty wearing a black wig, a choker, red lipstick, a black lacy bra and a black skirt. She was like a completely different person.

" _Holy shit."_ Will said quietly.

"Betty couldn't make it…so she sent me instead." Betty said, sounding like a completely different person.

Chuck got in the hot tub as Veronica and Betty made drinks. Veronica signaled Will by stretching and he hit record on his audio recorder and angled it towards Chuck. Veronica then saw Betty pour the contents of a pill in Chuck's drink.

"What is that?" Veronica asked.

"Muscle relaxer, mix it with booze and it lowers inhibitions, hello truth serum." Betty said.

"Maybe we should slow it down a little." Veronica told her.

"It's fine. Right, Chuck? You don't want to slow down, do you?" Betty asked.

"Oh, I'm too fast too furious, baby." Chuck replied.

"Good. Good boy, Chuck." Betty told him. She handed him his drink and after a few minutes, he passed out. Will got out from his cover and they handcuffed him to the hot tub as Betty got the temperature control button and Veronica had her phone ready to record his confession.

Chuck then woke up a few minutes later with both his hands cuffed to the hot tub. He looked around and saw Veronica standing with her phone out and Will squatting by the side. "Hiya." Will said as Chuck tried to move but couldn't get out.

"What the hell?" Chuck asked as he tried to get free.

"Yeah, those things aren't coming off without this." Will said as he held up the key. "Like I told you before, Chuck, you should have apologized. Now I believe these two lovely ladies would like a word with you."

"Start recording." Betty said as Veronica and Will did.

"Hey, guys it's getting really hot in here." Chuck said.

"And getting hotter by the minute. Time to squeal pig. Tell the truth about what happened between you and Veronica." Betty told him.

"We had a good time, she had a good time." Chuck said.

"The truth Chuck, or so help me I will boil you alive!" Betty warned him as she increased the temperature in the hot tub.

"What? We made out." Chuck said.

"And then?" Betty asked.

"And then I took her home, and I didn't give her a sticky maple." Chuck said.

"That is all you had to say you ass. And now everyone will know." Veronica said as she sent the video out as proof. Betty then placed her heel on his head and began pushing him down.

"You like shaming people, Chuck? You like dehumanizing them, prissy prude by day, freak in the sheets by night? Apologize!" Betty told him.

"Betty, calm down." Will told her.

"Say your sorry!" Betty shouted.

"Ok! Ok, I'm sorry! I'm sorry for all of it!" Chuck shouted.

"Good job, pig. Now time for your reward. A sticky maple of your own." Betty said as she uncapped a syrup bottle.

"Wait, what?" Chuck asked.

"Apologize for ruining, Polly! Do it, Jason! Say you're sorry for what you did to me?! Apologize for what you did to me!" She shouted as she poured the syrup down on his head.

"Stop! I'm not Jason! I'm not Jason!" Chuck shouted as Will ran over and stopped Betty.

"Betty, that is enough!" Veronica shouted.

"Betty, stop!" Will shouted as he grabbed the bottle and took off her wig. She stopped and froze for a second as Will couldn't believe what he saw. "That's enough. Ronnie, take her home."

"B, come on." Veronica said as she took Betty home.

"That girl is crazy! Oh my god is she crazy!" Chuck shouted as he tried to get free. "Let me out of here."

"Not yet." Will said as Chuck looked at him. "We still have a lot to discuss. We found your playbook."

"What's the matter, upset at your score?" Chuck asked as Will punched him across the face hard, causing him to bleed from the nose.

"You'll find it stupid to insult someone when your handcuffed. And when they have the temperature control." Will said as he began increasing the temperature again.

"Dude, let me out of here! You're crazy, just like Cooper is." He shouted as he tried to get free.

"Oh, maybe. Then again we all go a little mad sometimes…especially when it comes to the people we care about." Will said as he dunked Chuck's head underneath the water for a few seconds and then pulled him back up. "I believe I made you a promise. And it can get a lot worse."

"Dude, stop! What do you want?!" Chuck asked as Will took out his audio recorder.

"The truth about your playbook. There's a lot of guys you put in there and not all of them went along with your stupid thing, am I right?" Will asked.

"No. most of the guys I put in there are from what I heard or saw! Like you dude, all right! I heard you hooked up with Veronica at the Formal and I saw you and Cheryl by the Bleachers, that's it!" Chuck told him as Will smiled.

"Good, because there were a lot of other names in there. Moose among them. Reggie too. How would they feel if they found out what you did? Especially Moose considering I saw Midge's name in there, and he can be a bit overprotective around her. Your lucky he didn't see it or else he would have put you in the hospital by now!" Will told him.

"All right, man! I get it. Let me out!" Chuck shouted.

"No, no. Not yet. One last thing. Polly and Jason." Will said.

"What about Polly and Jason?" Chuck asked.

"Jason would never put Polly in that book of yours. He cared about her too much and he wasn't an ass like you. How did he get in there?" Will asked.

"I saw him and Polly once at a party, ok. And I heard from some guys that they might have hooked up but he never told me anything! He was protective of her! Everything in that book and I told Cooper was a lie." Chuck said.

"What did you tell, Betty?" Will asked.

"That Jason put her in the book because she was a freak, ok. She was the quiet girl freaky in the sack." Chuck said as Will punched him across the face again.

"Geez. Zero class, Chuck." Will said as he stood up, lowered the temperature, and turned off the audio recorder.

"Dude, let me out!" Chuck said as Will dropped the key near his hand.

"Let yourself out. You made our bed, now lay in it." Will said as he walked away, and Chuck quickly tried to free himself.

Will didn't get that much sleep last night. While he was happy and relieved to know he was right about Jason but what happened with Betty still kept him up and it wasn't something he could keep out of his head. Betty was like a completely different person. The normal Betty was sweet, kind, the picture-perfect example of the girl next door, someone who in this day an age was a necessity against the horrible people out there. But that…Dark Betty was someone else entirely. I get wanting payback against Chuck but she called him Jason and thought she was Polly.

Will drove to school with some coffee for him and Betty to work on the paper when he saw the new printed copies of the Blue & Gold were already out, ready for people to read. Will took a copy and saw the headline, _Book of Shame_ by Betty Copper. When the hell did she have time to write all this? Will walked through the hall and saw Veronica.

"Ronnie, hey." Will said as Veronica turned to see him.

"Willikins. Check it out." Veronica said as she held up the paper.

"Yeah, Betty did great. And you?" Will asked.

"After I posted Chuck's little confession, the tables turned very quickly. Now I'm back in Riverdale's good graces." Veronica said.

"Good, I'm glad." Will said as they walked through the school and saw Betty. "Hey, nicely done with the story. When did you have the time to write all this?"

"Uh, I stayed up all night. Couldn't sleep after." Betty said.

"Neither could I." Will said as he handed her a cup of coffee.

"Betty, you came through for me in a way that no one ever has before, but can we talk about what happened?" Veronica asked as Betty was confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"The wig and everything. How far were you planning to take it?" Veronica asked.

"Chuck deserved it." Betty replied

"He did and I'm not denying that…but you called him Jason." Will said.

"No…no, I didn't do that." Betty said as she walked to her locker and they followed.

"Yeah, girl. You did. You called yourself Polly, it was like Dr. Jekyll, Mistress Hyde. You became another person." Veronica said as Betty opened her locker.

"Ok, I mean I remember saying that Chuck should apologize for Polly, but not because I thought he was Jason." Betty said.

"Why then?" Veronica asked.

"Because, I'm sick of guys like Chuck and Jason doing horrible things to girls like you, me, and Polly, ok?" Betty asked.

"Jason was a lot of things, but he wasn't like Chuck. And he didn't put her in the book." Will said as he took out his recorder and played Chuck's confession for them. "The whole thing was Chuck talking out of his ass."

"And I thought that asshole couldn't sink any lower." Veronica said.

"Confession or not, Jason still hurt Polly. What he did to her, it broke her, Will. And now I can't see her. That makes him no better than Chuck to me." Betty said as she tried to leave but Will stopped her.

"Betty, I get that. Believe me I do, but that anger last night…it turned you into a completely different person. Had I not stopped you, you might have done something you would regret. Ok, that anger…that deep hatred inside, it will burn you up if you let it; turn you into something you're not." Will told her.

"How would you know?" Betty asked.

"Because it nearly happened to me, once. You saw how I acted with Reggie and that wasn't the first time, Betty. You remember the anger I went through when I was 14, how I was ready to cut you, Archie, everyone else, including my dad out after I learned the truth about my mom. That anger is still there inside of me and it can come back. It changes you and I don't want that for you." Will said in a brotherly tone as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I don't want you to go through what I did and turn into something your not. Ok? So, no more…Dark Betty."

Betty let out a sigh as she saw how worried Will was. "Ok, I hear you."

"That's my girl." Will said as she chuckled and hugged her close, kissing her head and comforting her like an older brother would. Veronica smiled at the scene and saw that Will really did care about his friends in a way that most people might not. Guess being just friends would have to do for now…until she could steal him from Cheryl.

"Aw, isn't that cute." Veronica said with a smile as Betty and Will chuckled.

"All right, ladies. Let's go face the music and tell Weatherbee." Will said as he put his arms around them and they walked to the principal's office.

 _Good and Evil, Light and Dark, Betty and Veronica. Two sides of the same coin. Given Betty's article, Weatherbee needed a sacrificial lamb, needed to make an example of someone. So, after Hermione Lodge negotiated a lesser sentence for our two avenging angels and their guard dog, Coach Clayton to save his job, to save the school's reputation was forced to cut his own beloved son and his goon squad from the team. An action that, though none of us knew at the time, would have terrible consequences in the weeks to come._ _But one thing was certain. Betty and Veronica, now B and V, and maybe forever had been forged._ _They walked through the fire and survived._

Principal Weatherbee and Coach Clayton escorted Chuck and his squad through the halls of the school to escort them off the premise. They were all cut from the team, banned from rejoining and given a suspension from school. As they walked down the hall, everyone clapped or took photos of the once hallowed students now leaving the school in shame. Among them were the girls that Chuck and his friends shamed in their book as well as Veronica, Betty, Cheryl, Will, and Ethel who smiled at a job well done and justice being served.

"Thanks, Will, Betty, Veronica." Ethel said.

"Don't thank me. It's Betty and Veronica who deserve the praise." Will told her.

"No, it's you Ethel. Thank you for going on record. It made all the difference with Weatherbee." Betty said.

"You were the bravest of them all, Ethel Muggs." Veronica said.

"Hashtag Justice for Ethel." Cheryl said as Will kissed her head.

Once they were gone, Will took Cheryl aside for a bit to talk to her. "Cheryl, there's something you should hear as well." Will said as he pulled out his voice recorder and she listened to Chuck's confession. "I told you Jason had nothing to do with the book."

"How did you get him to tell you?" Cheryl asked.

"I asked nicely. But now you know the truth." Will told her as Cheryl smiled.

"Jason would appreciate you honoring his memory." Cheryl said.

"I didn't do it just for him but for you as well. I made you a promise and I kept it." Will said as Cheryl's face grew warm. She leaned up and kissed him as Will kissed her, backing her up a bit into a locker as they were kissing in plain view for everyone to see. If the rumor was they were dating, now it was official.

"I don't deserve you." Cheryl said as Will looked at her and moved some hair behind her ear.

"I beg to differ." Will said as Cheryl kissed him again. "And I'll show you on Saturday night for our date."

"I can't wait. Anything you can tell me?" She asked.

"I'll give you two hints. Music…and Greendale. Wear your best dress, I'll be suiting up for the night." Will said as Cheryl kissed him. The kissing got a bit heated as Cheryl moaned when Will separated.

"You will be getting lucky that night, Will if you know what I mean." Cheryl said as Will smiled.

"A date with you, I'm already lucky." Will said as he kissed her.

Later that day, Betty and Will took Chuck's playbook out to the field and dumped it into a trashcan. She poured lighter fluid on it as Will lit a match and burned it.

"Good riddance." Betty said as they stared into the fire.

"You were right, this town really has changed." Will said as Betty looked at him. "God knows what other surprises this town has in store for us."

"Whatever it is, we'll have to face it." Betty said as they watched the book burn into ash.

They went to the Blue & Gold Office after school as Dilton Doiley came and sat town to talk them out of writing the story about him firing the gun on July 4th.

"If you publish the story saying that I fired that gun, my life will be ruined. I'll be banished from the Adventure Scouts and charged with a misdemeanor." Dilton told them.

"You fired a gun into the woods in an effort to train those scouts into fighters. They're kids, Dilton, not some private army. Not to mention you don't have a gun license and you could have killed someone that day." Will told him.

"I know. But please, don't. What if I have a better story?" Dilton asked as Jughead looked at Betty and Will then back at Dilton, wondering what it was. "If I tell you what I know, promise me the gunshot stays between us."

They thought about it when Will spoke. "Promise to stop training the adventure scouts as your own private militia. They're kids, Doiley. No more guns either. This town has enough to deal with and it doesn't need some trigger happy teenager training scouts to be adolescent vigilantes. Promise us that, and we promise not to say anything." Will told him.

"That's our deal." Betty said as Dilton nodded.

"I saw something at Sweetwater River, something nobody else saw. Ms. Grundy's car by the river's edge. She was there." Dilton said.

Betty was confused while Will and Jughead felt a wash of dread overcome them as Dilton just opened Pandora's Box and it would ultimately lead to one other person: Archie.

 **End of Chapter 2**

 **And that's chapter 2. It wrapped up the first three episodes of season 1. Hoped you guys like my take on the story, obviously with a new character having history and relationships with all the main characters, it's changed up a lot of what originally happened in the show. Like what happened with Cheryl and Veronica as well as Archie and Chuck. More will change in future chapters and with Season 2 complete, even more will change.**

 **Next chapter, Will's date with Cheryl and Jesse begins Riverdale high as the group befriends a new Detmer and she's turns a few heads. And they deal with the closing of the Twilight Drive-in and Jason's funeral. Enjoy!**

 **After a lot of consideration and looking at the poll, the pairing will be Will x Cheryl Blossom and eventually Veronica Lodge. Will and Cheryl have good chemistry and with Veronica since she's gotten to know Will more than Archie, she's not that into him like on the show. So the pairing will be Will x Cheryl x eventually Veronica.**

 **OC Characters:**

 **Will Detmer:** Steven R. McQueen

 **John Detmer:** Sam Worthington

 **Rosaline Detmer:** Leslie Mann

 **Jessica 'Jesse' Detmer:** Violett Beane

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Riverdale or any properties, songs, or such that were used in this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is chapter 3 of Riverdale: The Gang Plus 1. Jesse is introduced to Riverdale as she meets Cheryl, Betty, Archie, and the others. Will would normally be happy, but he has to deal with Archie and Ms. Grundy, and the Twilight Drive-in closing. And he thought the hardest part would be his date with Cheryl. Enjoy!**

 **Rest in Peace Luke Perry. You were gone too soon from this world. Continued well wishes to the family and friends who knew him.**

 **The New Detmer and the Last Picture Show**

 **August 2017**

The aftermath of Chuck's suspension and the revelation of his little playbook had reverberated throughout the whole school. It re-established the Blue & Gold in Riverdale, solidified Betty and Veronica's friendship, and also showed that Veronica Lodge was not to be messed with. Hell, hath no fury like a woman scorned. With Chuck's deviant game against women destroyed, things in Riverdale calmed down a bit but now there were new problems. One of which was the information Dilton Doiley gave Betty, Jughead, and Will about the 4th of July and that Ms. Grundy was there that day. That, and given Archie's statement made the whole thing very odd to her and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. And when Betty was set on something, nothing could deter her.

But it was the weekend so that did distract her a bit and even though Will was worried about what she would discover, it was Saturday and he was more focused on his date with Cheryl. He told her he would pick her up at 7:30 and to dress up. Will was at home, having just gotten out of the shower, shaved, and done up with his hair gelled a bit. He was wearing basketball shorts and a white t-shirt at the moment as he walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water.

"Not really the kind of outfit you wear on a date." He heard as he saw Jesse sitting on the couch watching TV with John and Rosaline.

"Very cute." Will said as he grabbed a bottle of water. "Still have a bit of time before I need to get dressed."

"So, where are you taking Cheryl?" Rosaline asked.

"Well, I figured I'd take a page out of dad's book and make it something unique." Will said as John smiled. "Make the first date a night to remember."

"That's my son." John said as Rosaline chuckled.

"So, Greendale is having a themed musical event and dance with a live band. A Charity night to raise some money for worthy causes. And I scored two tickets." Will said as he held up the two tickets. "A night of dancing, good music, and a little refinery and class."

"How can a themed dance be classy? What is it, Victorian era themed?" Jesse asked as Will chuckled.

"Classic Jazz and Swing of the 20's to the 50's. The time of the Rat Pack and Frank Sinatra. And a good chance for me to use the suit I got in New York." Will said as John whistled.

"Whoa, pulling out the big guns." John said.

"Can't slack off when it comes to these kinds of things." Will said as he walked upstairs.

It was around 7 o'clock as Jesse, John, and Rosaline were having dinner in the kitchen when they heard music playing. It was Frank Sinatra's _The Good Life_ playing over some kind of phone speaker as they heard Will come down the stairs.

 **And in case you wonder why? Well just wake up and kiss that good life goodbye!**

They all looked and watched as Will walked down the stairs dressed up in a fancy three-piece dark blue suit with a white button-up, a dark blue vest and matching tie. His jacket and pants were simple plain weave in dark blue with a pocket square and to complete the outfit, he was holding a fedora in his hand minus a feather. He walked down the stairs, exuding confidence, and pride as he stood in front of them, flipped the hat on his hand before placing it on his head and notching the front a bit. It was like he was ripped out the late 40s and placed right there in front of them.

"What do you think?" Will asked as they all took a second.

"You look like a cartoon." Jesse said as Will looked at her.

"This is classic Rat Pack. Class and elegance." Will said as he fixed his tie and hat. "Besides, the dance is perfect for me to wear this."

"Well I think you look incredible." Rosaline said as John walked up and help him fix his tie and made sure he looked good.

"She's right. Cheryl won't know what hit her." John said as Will smiled.

"Thanks. Don't wait up." Will said as he grabbed his car keys and drove to pick Cheryl up.

Cheryl was in her room, sitting in front of a mirror as she did her makeup. She was wearing a beautiful red off-shoulder gown and a red gem necklace. She finished her lipstick as she got a text from Will saying that he was here. She finished her makeup, grabbed her clutch, and walked downstairs, her heels clicking on the wooden stairs of Thornhill, but no one was there to hear them as her parents and her nana were gone for the weekend. She opened the front door and saw Will leaning against the frame with his fedora on. He smiled at her as he looked like something taken right out of a 1940's noir film.

"Evening, gorgeous. What brings a dame like you out on a night like this?" Will asked, in a film noir-esque fashion and tone causing her to chuckle.

"I'm just a lady looking for her man. Perhaps you've seen him?" Cheryl asked, playing along with Will's little game.

"None so far, gorgeous. Just the beautiful angel in front of me. He must be a fool to stand you up." Will replied as Cheryl decided to have a little fun with him.

"Oh, a fool, yes. And not very good looking. To be honest I'm only dating him out of pity." Cheryl said.

"Wow, that stings a little." Will said, breaking character causing her to laugh.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. But that wasn't you. Not the handsome gentleman I see in front of me." Cheryl said as Will smiled.

"Right back at you, gorgeous. Love the dress." Will told her.

"I'll bet you love me out of it." Cheryl said as she kissed him, and he kissed back.

"Oh, getting a little ahead of yourself there, gorgeous. Besides, don't you want to see where the night goes?" Will asked as he pulled a small rose out from behind his back. "I got dressed up for you."

"Oh, and I appreciate that, very much. Nothing more sexy than a man who's willing to go all out for a girl." Cheryl said as Will took off his fedora, twirled it in his hands and put it back on causing her to chuckle. "And I love the hat."

"I was hoping you would. Now, I'm hoping you don't mind a night of good music and dancing, shall we?" Will asked as he held his arm and she happily linked arms. Will drove them to the Greendale Performing arts center where the event was being held in its main ballroom. He valet parked as he and Cheryl walked in to see the ballroom packed with families, elderly patrons and young couples like them. The band was playing classic music from the 20s to 50s and were playing some jazz at the moment as servers walked around with plates of hors d'oeuvres and glasses of wine, water, or other drinks. Everyone there was dressed in suits or dresses as it was an elegant atmosphere.

"I know it's not the kind of party we're used to, but I figured we could do with a night of class and elegance. I wanted to pull out all the stops on the first date." Will said as Cheryl smiled.

"And you definitely did." Cheryl said.

"They won't let us drink the good stuff, but I borrowed a flask from Moose. If you want something later." Will said as he opened his jacket slightly to show her the flask.

"Oh, I might take you up on that later but for now why don't you show me if you know your way around the dance floor." Cheryl said as Will smirked.

"I aim to please, gorgeous." Will said as they joined the dozens of other couples on the dance floor as the live band played amazing jazz and swing era music.

Will and Cheryl enjoyed themselves as they danced to some great music and enjoyed some tasty treats. Cheryl, being Cheryl, had them take a few dozen pictures for her Instagram and Will was happy to oblige. They were of the couple together in their nice and beautiful outfits, some with the band in the background and others of them kissing, now definitive proof to the rest of Riverdale that the two were dating. They got some sodas and mixed a bit of the alcohol from Moose's flask so they could enjoy themselves a bit as they danced the night away. For a night, the two had no other worries on their minds and just enjoyed themselves. Around midnight, the dance was just about over and most of the patrons and guests had gone home. Will and Cheryl made their way out of the event and he was perfectly fine to drive them back to Cheryl's. Will pulled up to her house as they walked to the door, Will's jacket around Cheryl to keep her warm.

"Tonight was the best date I've had, Will." Cheryl said as Will smiled.

"I'm glad. And you can expect more dates like that in the future." Will told her.

"Looking forward to it, but the night's not over yet." She said as she grabbed his hat and opened the door. "If you want your hat, you'll have to come and get it."

Will chuckled as he followed her inside and closed the door behind him. Will watched as Cheryl put his hat on and slowly, sensually walked up the stairs as she looked back at him. "What's the matter, handsome? Can't keep up?" Cheryl asked as Will smirked.

"You've seen me on the soccer field, gorgeous. You know I can keep up." Will said as he followed her up the stairs. She then walked into her room and closed the door behind her. Will followed her and opened the door to see her standing there wearing his hat and her heels, but her dress was gone, and she was there in a tantalizing black bra with red lace trimming the edges and a pair of matching panties. "Whoa."

"I know it's not my dress or my River Vixen's uniform…but I thought you'd like it." She said a she slowly walked forward.

"Definitely. Absolutely. All the best words." Will said as she crept up to him.

"Aren't you sweet? I could eat…you…up." Cheryl accentuated each word as her hands made their way to his head. "Cheryl Bombshell wants to play now."

She kissed him as Will's heart went from zero to a hundred in a second. This moment was different as the sensation of Cheryl's lip sent a rush through him. He pulled her close, feeling her smooth skin under his fingers as Cheryl ran her fingers through his hair. Both slipped their tongues down each other's throats as Cheryl unbuttoned Will's vest and tossed it aside as she began unbuttoning his shirt. Letting out a small guttural growl, Will picked up Cheryl by her rear as she gasped in shock.

"Oh, I like this side of you." Cheryl said as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to bed. She kissed him again as she managed to pull his shirt down over his shoulders, as Will backed up and fell on the bed with her on top of him. She kissed him as she opened his shirt and ran her hands down his chest and abs. "Oh, it was nice seeing from afar but much better up close and personal."

"I agree." Will said as he kissed her again and then kissed her neck, causing her to let out a small moan before whispering in her ear. "Cheryl, are you sure you want this? I don't want to push this if you're not ready."

Cheryl pushed him down as she straddled his lap, pulled off his shirt and threw it away. "I've been waiting for this and no one stops me from getting what I want." She said as she kissed him again. "I want this."

"So, do I." Will told her as his hands made their way to her waist and Cheryl stared down at him with lustful eyes.

"Good." She said as she gave him a sultry smile and unclipped her bra. "Now, be a good boy and enjoy."

"Yes, gorgeous." Will said as he leaned up and kissed her as she kissed back. The two went at it like bunny rabbits for hours until they both collapsed from exhaustion and got some much needed rest.

Sunlight shined through a window in the morning to illuminated Cheryl's room and showed what happened. Clothes were scattered all over the place with Will's hat hanging off of Cheryl's desk chair and his jacket sprawled on the floor. The bed was in similar shambles as the blanket was tossed off and pillows all over the place. Will and Cheryl were asleep in bed with a bed sheet covering their modesty. Will was asleep with his left arm resting above his head and Cheryl lying on his chest, her red hair splotched around her. The light shined in Will's eyes as the bright light jerked him awake. He squint his eyes as he raised his free arm to block the sun and let his eyes adjust to the light. When his eyes had adjusted, he removed his hand to see he was in Cheryl's room. He looked around the room as he remembered all of last night, the date and after. He looked down and saw Cheryl sleeping on his chest and he smiled, she looked beautiful. That was the best night of his entire life and quite frankly he was amazed at how long Cheryl lasted. Not to mention how aggressive and in control she was, though given her personality that's nothing new. Thank god they were safe.

He saw his phone on her nightstand so he reached over to check the time and saw it was around noon. He got a text from his dad asking if he was ok from around 9am so he texted him back saying he was fine and was with Cheryl. He also saw that he had dozens of notifications and messages from the pictures that Cheryl posted last night. He was about to check them when he felt Cheryl move. He put his phone down as Cheryl picked her head up and saw Will smiling at her.

"Hey, gorgeous. How'd you sleep?" He asked as she smiled and kissed his chest.

"Oh, like a baby." She said as she leaned up and kissed him as he kissed back. "After the long hours we went at it, it was the best sleep I've had in a long time. You impressed me, Willie."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Ever since I've known you, you've been so sweet and kind. But last night, you were a beast." Cheryl said as Will kissed her head.

"I hope I didn't hurt you." Will said as Cheryl looked at him lovingly.

"No, not at all. I hope I can expect more nights like that in the future." Cheryl said as Will rolled over, so he was on top causing her to gasp in shock.

"Definitely, gorgeous." Will said as he kissed her, and she kissed back. Cheryl moaned in the kiss as her hands clawed across his back and then to his shoulders as Will moved to her neck, kissing a hickey from last night as Cheryl moaned when he pulled away. "But I think we should call it a night. Or afternoon, if you prefer."

He reached over and showed her his phone and the time of 12:58pm. "Maybe we should get cleaned up and dressed. Maybe grab something to eat." He said.

"That'd be nice. But first…" Cheryl said as she kissed him. She then moved him off as she stood up from the bed and walked to the bathroom, stopping at the door and looking over her shoulder in a seductive manner. "I think a nice, _long_ shower is in order don't you think?"

"Who am I to disagree with a smart and beautiful lady?" Will said as she walked into the bathroom and Will followed her. After a long, long shower the two finally got dressed and Will made them some food in the kitchen. Afterward, Will decided to head home and change into some fresh clothes. Will parked his car as he walked into the house, in his shirt and vest, holding his jacket and his hat perched on his head. He walked in to see Jesse sitting at the kitchen table working on some sheet music and when she saw him, she smirked.

"Hey, late night?" She asked.

"Late morning." He said as he walked over and grabbed a water bottle.

"You know, when I first saw your outfit I thought the entire thing was a little much but after seeing all these photos…" Jesse showed him the reel of photos Cheryl posted last night and stopped on one in particular. It was of Will and Cheryl as they were about to kiss. Will had his hands on her face like a lover would and the way it was shot with the band in the background and the nice lighting made it look like a poster for a romance movie. "guess I was wrong."

"When in doubt, always trust your gut. It's what dad use to say to me all the time." Will said as Jesse nodded. "Besides, I like looking good."

"Good to know. So, now that I'm living here and you and Cheryl are a thing, should I expect to sleep with ear plugs every night?" She asked as Will chuckled nervously.

"Not every night. And if Cheryl is going to be spending the night here, I will be give you advanced notice." Will said as Jesse nodded. "Where are mom and dad?"

"They went food shopping for dinner." Jesse said as Will nodded. He went upstairs to change out of his suit and into some regular clothes of jeans, sneakers, and a black long sleeve shirt. He finished the rest of his homework he had due tomorrow and decided to finish up some sketches in his room. As he sketched, he texted with his friends and Cheryl. He would have gone over but her parents and her nana came back so he decided not to crowd them. But she was planning to head to Pop's later if he wanted to join.

Will finished up some sketches when his parents came home and they had dinner. During dinner, his mother grilled him about the date in an attempt to know more and know more about him. She really wanted to get to know him better. Even though it was still a little weird for him, he was starting to get used to the idea of having his mother around. It was a slow process but a process nevertheless. Will kept most of the details of the date to himself but gave them the broad picture. After helping clean up, he went to Pops with Cheryl and the two just shared a milkshake and enjoyed their last moment of the weekend before school started tomorrow. And Will had a gut feeling that it would be an eventful one. Betty would be on the warpath to figure out why Grundy's car was at Sweetwater River not to mention that Jesse was starting school. He had a lot on his plate.

Line Break xxxxx

The next morning, Will put on a black button up with the sleeves rolled up, jeans, canvass sneakers and jacket then ate breakfast as he waited for Jesse to come down. Jesse then came down wearing black cut-up jeans, a red shirt, an open blue button up over the shirt, her wolf necklace, and boots. She came down with a jacket in hand and her backpack and walked over to grab some cereal.

"Morning." Jesse said as she poured the milk.

"Morning." Will replied as she sat down across from him and the two newly discovered siblings ate breakfast together. When they were both ready, Will drove them to school in his Impala and parked in the school parking lot. They walked into the school as the students there saw Will with a new girl they didn't recognize, and they immediately began gossiping if he was cheating on Cheryl. "Well, this is Riverdale High."

"Huh, lockers, the sound of gossip and teenage hormonal angst. You go to one school you've been to them all." Jesse joked as Will chuckled.

"Riverdale High can surprise you in a few ways." They heard as Will saw Betty walk over to them. "It has its charms and I'm sure Will's shown you a few."

"Hey, Betty." Will said as he hugged her and kissed her head as she happily returned the hug. "I'm glad you're here. I'm guessing you're giving Jesse her tour?"

"I am." Betty said as she looked at Jesse and saw the resemblance to Will and his father. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Jesse, allow me to introduce to you, Betty Cooper. I've known her since she was in diapers." Will said as Betty slapped his arm causing him to chuckle. "Betty, this is Jesse."

"Hi." Jesse said as she shook Betty's hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Will's told me all about you." Betty said.

"Really?" Jesse asked as she looked at her brother. "Like what?"

"Only the good things so far." Betty said.

"Like you're an aspiring musician." They heard as Veronica walked into school and joined them. She got her first good look at Jesse and saw she did look a little like Will and she was very cute. "Guess music runs in the Detmer blood. And instead of Will's handsome charm, you got gorgeous features that'll have the boys here drooling after you."

"The first part was right, the last part was all her." Will said to Jesse. "Jesse, meet Veronica Lodge. Ronnie, this is my sister, Jesse."

"Nice to finally meet you." Veronica said as she shook Jesse's hand. She got a good look at Jesse and how she was dressed. "Wow, you're a female version of Will."

Betty withheld a chuckle as Jesse and Will looked at her funny. "Thanks, Ronnie. I always wanted to know how I would look if I was born a girl." Will joked, sarcastically.

"At least you know you'd look good. Me on the other hand." Jesse shot back as Will playfully chuckled.

"Ha, ha." Will replied.

"Oh, guess she's got Will's funny bone too." Kevin said as he joined them.

"Another of your friends?" Jesse asked as Will nodded.

"Kevin Keller, Jesse Detmer." Will said, introducing the two.

"Kevin's our gay bff and he's yours too now. In case the whole machismo façade Will puts up get to be too much." Veronica joked.

"Hilarious. Just hilarious." Will sarcastically commented as Jesse chuckled.

"This place might not be that bad." She said as Reggie and Moose walked by and saw Jesse.

"Damn, get a load at the new girl." Reggie said as he walked. Will grabbed Reggie's arm and violently turned him around.

"That's not a nice thing to say, Reggie. Apologize, now." Will warned him as Jesse got in between them.

"Easy, Will. I can handle this." Jesse said as Will backed up a bit and she turned to Reggie. "Who are you?"

"Reggie Mantle, hotness. And yourself?" He asked.

"Jesse Detmer." Jesse said as Reggie looked at Will.

"Huh, who knew Detmer had a hottie for a sister." Reggie said as Veronica held Will back from beating Reggie senseless. "So, how about I show you around town? Maybe show you a good time?"

"As much as I would love that, and believe me, nothing in the world would make me happier than an egotistical, chauvinistic pig taking me out on a date in a stupid and misguided attempt to get lucky so he could brag to his friends about how he hooked up with the new girl and judging by your last name, put her on his mantle, I'm gonna have to pass." Jesse said, putting Reggie in his place for all to see. Will and the others had to withhold chuckles and shocked faces which they didn't do that well. "And I for one feel sorry for the girl who actually falls for that kind of attempt at flirting."

"Geez, guess you're like Detmer in more ways than one. Being a bitch is one of them." Reggie said as Will was ready to kill him but Jesse beat him to it by kneeing him in the nuts, causing him to double over in pain, holding his privates.

"Oh." Veronica said as everyone was shocked to see Jesse knee Reggie in the privates. Jesse then grabbed his shoulder as he looked at her.

"Call me a bitch again, and we'll see how much trauma your privates can take before you can't have kids. Ok, pumpkin?" Jesse asked in a both threatening and oddly sweet manner.

"Got it and I'm sorry." Reggie managed to say as Moose grabbed him and they walked away. Everyone in the hall who witnessed what happened just saw the new girl put Mantle in his place.

"Whoa." Will said, shocked at what he just saw.

"If there was any doubt she's your sister, there isn't now." Betty said.

"That's the truth." Veronica agreed with her.

Jesse then turned around and smile. "So, shall we get on with the tour?" She asked as Betty nodded.

"Yeah." Betty said as she escorted Jesse through the school while Will went to his locker and Ronnie followed him.

"So, how was your weekend, Ronnie?" Will asked as he switched out some books.

"Oh, boring, boring, and more boring. Betty and I hung out for a bit but other than that, nothing special. Unlike you and Cheryl who took a time machine back to the forties." Veronica said as she showed him a photo Cheryl posted of them on their date. They were dancing as Will had dipped Cheryl and the photo was taken at just the right time to make it seem like a poster for a dance movie. And it was with the caption, _When life knocks you down, the perfect guy sweeps you off your feet. #Perfect date #Bestboyfriendever._

"Oh, nice photo." Will said as he closed his locker.

"Yeah, where was that tux at the semiformal Gatsby?" Veronica asked.

"You know he dies in that book, right?" He asked as she just looked at him, waiting for the answer. "The tux I got at a special store in New York City when I visited to help my dad with the building we designed. And a little much for a semiformal. Besides, I looked good in what I wore. You thought so seeing as how you did kiss me that night."

"Yeah, well you weren't so innocent in that moment either." Veronica said.

"Fair enough. But be honest, if I dressed like that for the dance it would have been a little much." Will said.

"Point, Willikins." Veronica relented. "But you could have worn the hat."

"And I will keep in mind for future events, Ronnie." Will replied.

"Good. I never thought you were a suit person." Veronica said.

"I wouldn't say I'm a suit person but I like looking good. And my dad's a huge fan of Frank Sinatra and the 40s so it kind of influenced me growing up." Will said.

"Oh, that would explain the film-noireseque touches to the suit." Veronica said.

"Of course, Ronnie. _The Maltese Falcon, Out of the Past, Strangers on a Train, The Killers_ : all hallmarks of an excellent film genre." Will said as Veronica was intrigued. "And a genre that's had a modern resurgence but nothing's better than the classics."

"Oh, more and more to the enigma that is Will Detmer, I'm intrigued." Veronica said.

"I'm not a Rubik's cube, Ronnie. Just a regular guy." Will said as they walked through the halls.

"I wouldn't go with regular. You're different, Willikins. And I like different." Veronica said with a smile as Will raised an eyebrow.

"If I didn't know any better, Ronnie, I would think you're flirting with me. And I'm taken at the moment." Will said.

"Oh, Willikins, I think you're just imagining things." Veronica said with a smile.

"Sure I am. I'll see you at lunch." Will said as he saw Cheryl up ahead with Tina and Ginger. He walked ahead and kissed her as she kissed back and a ping of jealousy ran through Veronica. Veronica went to find Betty as Cheryl separated from the kiss. "Morning, beautiful."

"Morning. How come we didn't come to school together?" Cheryl asked as she tugged on his collar. Will reached up and took her hands and kissed them.

"I told you I had to drive Jesse. It's her first day. We came a bit early so Betty could show her around." Will said as he kissed her hands. "But I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Willikins. Maybe we head to Pop's later tonight?" Cheryl asked.

"Sounds good to me." Will said they walked to Cheryl's locker.

"So, why was Lodge with you?" Cheryl asked.

"Ronnie? We were talking, why?" Will asked as he saw Cheryl's face. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"I'm not jealous." Cheryl said as she turned her head, but Will could tell she was.

"You are. And to think I was going to be the jealous one." Will said as he gently turned Cheryl's head, so she looked at him. "Cheryl, Ronnie's just a friend. And I told her that despite what happened with us, I wanna be with you."

Cheryl looked into his eyes and saw he was telling the truth as Will leaned down and kissed her. Cheryl's heart fluttered as the butterflies in her stomach floated away and she felt like she was floating on clouds. Will then separated as he saw the blush on her face. "Cheryl, I want to be with you and even though I'm friends with Ronnie and Betty or anyone else, I would never leave you. If anything, I'd be worried about you dumping me." Will said.

"Why?" Cheryl asked.

"Cheryl, you're the most beautiful girl in this entire town. Every guy in this school would give up an arm for the chance to go on a date with you. And I'm pretty sure some girls would too." Will said as Cheryl chuckled. "I'm beyond lucky that you said yes when I asked if you could give us a shot. Cheryl Bombshell Blossom is a bombshell. She turns heads in every room she walks into and I'm not worthy to date the fiery and sexy redhead."

"Oh, flattery gets you a long way, Will." Cheryl said as she kissed him, and he kissed back, both of them in full view for everyone else in school. "I don't deserve you."

"We often don't know what we deserve until it hits us. Our date Saturday was the best night of my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything." Will told her.

"Neither would I. You're mine and I'm yours." She said as Will smirked.

"I couldn't agree more." Will said as he backed her up into a locker and kissed her. He then moved to her neck as she moaned in response before she grabbed his face to kiss him again.

Jesse was walking through school with Betty, showing her the classes and giving her some useful information. "So, Riverdale High has plenty of extra-curriculars for you to take on. From sports to academic ones like the school paper, the Blue & Gold, which Will and I run." Betty told her.

"Yeah. I think Cheryl wants me as a cheerleader even though it's not really my thing." Jesse said.

"And it wasn't mine either, but I took a chance and it's been fun so far. You should definitely try out. Veronica and I are on the team, so we can help keep you sane from Cheryl." Betty said.

"Right. How long has she and Will been a thing?" Jesse asked.

"Fairly recently." Betty said as Jesse sighed.

"Great, I have to deal with the newlywed phase of their relationship." Jesse said as Betty chuckled. Betty looked at Jesse and wondered how she was doing with all the big changes in her life.

"How has everything been? I know moving here must have been a huge change along with meeting Will." Betty said as Jesse nodded.

"It's been fine." Jesse said, not really giving Betty any indication as to how she was really doing. "My mom told me about Will when I got older. To be honest, after she applauded and put him on a pedestal for so long, I wasn't sure what to expect."

Betty noted the hint of resentment in Jesse's voice which was understandable. As a younger sibling, there were times when there was jealousy against the older one, especially someone like Will. Someone who is so talented, smart, and well-liked that it's not hard to understand that Jesse might have a little resentment towards him, especially since she's never met him.

"If it helps, I know Will's been busting his back to try and make sure everything was ok for when you started." Betty said as Jesse looked at her. "I think a lot of what makes Will the guy he is, is he's trying to be the person your mom would have been proud of. The son she wouldn't have left."

Jesse thought about it for a minute as Betty explained this to her. "As a fellow younger sibling, I know how hard it is to be compared and held up to your older sibling. But Will's different. He wants to make up for 16 years of not being there. He's looked out for me and my friends since we were born, and he's been an older brother to us. He's looked out for us, kept us safe, and he's even put us before himself. And he really wants to be a brother for you." Betty said as Jesse absorbed all this. "Don't try and compare yourself to Will. He wants to get know Jesse Detmer, just like the rest of us."

Jesse smiled and nodded. "So, what does this school have for music?" Jesse asked as Betty smiled.

Betty took Jesse to her classes for the day as she met her teachers and fellow classmates. Word soon spread that the new girl was in fact Will Detmer's sister. The Alpha Wolf had a sister and rumors and gossip began spreading as to how this was possible. Was she kept hidden her entire life? Did Will's dad have an affair with another woman? The rumors spread and only Will, Jesse, and his friends knew the truth.

Lunch time came as it was nice enough that everyone was eating outside. Will grabbed a small sandwich and grabbed a table as Kevin joined him while they waited for the others. Cheryl soon joined them as she slid next to Will, kissing him on the cheek. Now while Cheryl wasn't exactly someone who joined them for lunch but with her dating Will, she decided to sit next to him. Soon enough Betty, Veronica and Jesse walked over and sat down at the table.

"Hey." Jesse said as they made their way over.

"Hey. Grab a seat." Will said as Jesse sat down next to Kevin across from Will with Veronica deciding to sit down next to her after seeing Cheryl sitting next to Will. Betty and Kevin saw Veronica quickly sit down next Jesse and raised an eyebrow. Betty then sat down next to Will. "So, Jesse, how has Riverdale high been so far?"

"So far, so good. Other than the weird glances and whispers I've been getting." Jesse said as she looked at another table and saw people looking at her.

"That's to be expected. I'm sure everyone's curious as to how you're my sister." Will said as he took a sip of water.

"Tina and Ginger have heard some weird theories. My favorite one is that Jesse is secretly Will's twin sister who he thought was dead." Cheryl said as Will and Jesse looked at each other.

"I don't see it." They both said, causing the others to chuckle.

"Well, I'm sure the truth will spread soon enough so you won't have to live with the rumors for much longer." Kevin said.

"Right and then comes the torrential news storm at my mom." Jesse said.

"We'll help her get through it, Jesse. Don't worry." Veronica told her.

"And I for one will keep an eye on my parents and let you guys know if they're planning anything." Betty said.

"Thanks, Betty." Will said.

"Good, because the last thing Rosaline's gonna need is the Cooper's heckling her while she's here. But there is some good news from me. My parents got in touch with one of the best oncologists in New York City. He'll be here next week." Cheryl said.

"Thank you, Cheryl." Jesse said with a smile as Cheryl smiled back.

"My pleasure." She replied as Will kissed her head and she leaned into his chest.

"You're amazing." Will said as Cheryl leaned up and kissed him.

Veronica picked at her salad as she saw Will kissing Cheryl. Betty looked over and saw the look on Veronica's face and where she was looking. Veronica was jealous of Cheryl being with Will.

"You two need to come up for air sometime soon?" Kevin asked as Will broke away.

"Sorry, Kevin." Will said as he kissed Cheryl's head. "No luck with Moose I'm guessing?"

"Unfortunately, it would seem our respite is done at the moment. Moose is sticking to his perceived heterosexual image." Kevin said as Veronica pat him on the shoulder.

"Sorry, Kevin." Veronica said.

"Well, don't give up. There's someone out there, even in a small town like this." Jesse said.

"Oh, so Will's not the only Detmer who can be comforting." Veronica said as she looked at Will. "Looks like you have some competition there, Willikins."

"There's more than enough room for two Detmers in Riverdale." Will said as Cheryl looked at Veronica.

"If Jesse's anything like Willie, then I think that's for the better. Willie is the best." Cheryl said as she kissed him and then sent a look at Veronica. "One of a kind."

"Like you." Will said as he kissed Cheryl on the head.

"Am I going to have to hose you two down?" Betty asked as Will chuckled.

"Sorry, guys. So, Jesse, have you settled on any kinds of extracurriculars yet?" Will asked.

"I'm hoping that you've thought about the River Vixens?" Cheryl asked.

"I have. And I'll try out. So long as it doesn't interfere with my music, I'll give it a shot." Jesse said.

"Oh boy. Now four River Vixens in my life. I feel outnumbered." Will said as Cheryl chuckled and kissed him on the cheek.

"You should." Cheryl said as Will chuckled. "And if you and Jesse share music and good genetics, then I think dancing is there as well. Come to the gym after school and you can try out."

"I will." Jesse said.

"And that's not all there is at school. Wait until Cheryl introduces you to Josie. Something tells me you and the Pussycats will get along very well." Will said as Cheryl smiled.

"Definitely. Josie and I are BFFs and she's the best musician in Riverdale. You two will get along swimmingly." Cheryl said as Jesse nodded.

"Ok. But I'm not exactly a girl group person." Jesse said. "I'm more comfortable as Beyoncé, not with Destiny's Child."

"Oh, there's a fire in you, Jesse. Nice." Cheryl said as Will chuckled.

"Well, then we need to see your talents on display. There's a Variety Show in a month. You need to sign up for it." Kevin told her.

"Will told me and I'm always up for a good performance." Jesse said.

"Nice but I think what I want to see is a duet with the two Detmer siblings." Kevin said as Jesse and Will looked at each other. "I've heard Will sing and I think a great way to end the Variety show would be an amazing song sung by you two. What do you think?"

"Definitely. You should absolutely do it." Veronica told them.

"I for one want to see my boyfriend up there singing his heart out." Cheryl said as Will looked at Betty who seemed to be in deep though.

"Betty?" Will asked as he followed her line of sight and saw she was looking at Archie who was walking back into school. "Betty?"

"Earth to B?" Veronica said as Betty snapped back. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. And you and Jesse should definitely sing together at the show." Betty said.

"I'm up for it if you are, Jesse." Will said.

"Sure thing." Jesse said as they finished lunch when the bell went off. They walked back inside as Cheryl rejoined Tina and Ginger while Will walked up to Betty.

"Everything ok, Betty?" Will asked.

"Just thinking, that's it. I'll see you later." Betty said as she walked away.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Will said as he knew Betty figured out Archie's secret about Ms. Grundy.

Will continued through his day and when school was over, he went to the gym to watch Jesse try out for the River Vixens. Jesse was in a River Vixen practice shirt and shorts as some dance music was playing with her dancing along to it, and she was good. She was fluid, graceful, badass and a bit sexy kind of like a mix between Cheryl and Veronica when they danced. Jesse then did a backflip into a split with a little flair as the music ended and everyone clapped and cheered.

"So, how was that?" Jesse asked, huffing a bit as Cheryl smiled.

"Are you a gymnast or something?" Veronica asked.

"I'm just full of surprises." Jesse said with a smirk as Cheryl walked over to Jesse's side.

"Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say that you're definitely a River Vixen." Cheryl said as everyone clapped. "We'll get you fitted for your outfit later. Practice is over early today, River Vixens. That'll be all."

The rest of the Vixens left while Veronica, Betty, and Cheryl stuck around with Jesse. "That was amazing. Where did you learn all that?" Betty asked.

"Growing up, I went through a serious dancing phase. There were some free classes at the local community center and the rest is internet." Jesse told them as she drank some water. "The backflip and split was childhood gymnastics."

"Well it seems like you still have it." Veronica said.

"I'm not sure. That split still hurt." Jesse said as they chuckled. "Are the outfits at least cute?"

"They are. Don't worry about that. Let's get you fitted for one." Cheryl said as she and Jesse walked into the locker room, so she could get fitted as Will walked over.

"Looks like Jesse's fitting in nicely and she's got one thing over me. I can't dance that well." Will said as Veronica and Betty chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know. You seemed to handle yourself pretty well at the dance." Veronica said.

"That's just dance dancing. Dancing like you and the Vixens do is different. I'm better in a crowd than in the spotlight. Besides, I think those moves were because of the booze Mantle spiked the punch with." Will joked. "So, how do you think Jesse's doing?"

Veronica and Betty smiled as they heard how concerned Will was about his new sister. He really wanted to look out for her. "She's doing fine, Will. She's got some friends, and everyone is already loving her. Probably a lot better then when I started." Veronica said.

"Veronica's right. About the first part, not the last one." Betty said.

"She should come with us to Pop's tonight." Veronica said as Will nodded.

"All right. I'll let her know. I'll see you girls later." Will said as he walked over to the locker room and waited for Cheryl and Jesse to finish as he had to drive Jesse home.

Line Break xxxxx

Will drove Jesse back home after school where their parents were waiting for them to see how her first day went. Jesse told them what happened on her first day. She met Will's friends and that she was now a River Vixen. Rosaline was happy that Jesse was settling in and making friends and John was happy that she seemed happy. Given some time, Jesse will get use to Riverdale. Will then told them that Ronnie invited her to head to Pops with them later tonight so now Jesse was starting to develop a Riverdale social life. After Dinner, Will and Jesse went to Pops. Will was there to see Cheryl of course and Jesse could hang out with Betty, Ronnie and Kevin. Jughead was there and he introduced him to Jesse.

Will and Cheryl sat next to each other in a booth, sharing a milkshake and being lovey-dovey while Veronica, Kevin, Jessie, Betty and Jughead were at a booth one row away. Kevin, Veronica, and Jesse were sitting together while Betty and Jughead sat across from them. Jughead was complaining to them about the Twilight Drive-in closing and how it was another loss for the town with the others listening to him rant.

"The Drive-in closing is just one more nail in the coffin that is Riverdale. No, no, forget Riverdale, the coffin of the American Dream. As the godfather of indie cinema, Quentin Tarantino likes to say…" "Please, god. No more Quentin Tarantino references." Kevin stopped Jughead from going off on another tirade as Jesse chuckled while she drank her milkshake. Will really did have some interesting friends.

"What? I'm pissed. And not just about losing my job. The Twilight Drive-in should mean something to us. We should be trying to save it!" Jughead exclaimed in anger as Veronica tried to calm him down.

"In this age of Netflix and VOD, do people really want to watch a movie in a car? I mean, who even goes there?" Veronica asked.

"People who want to buy crack." Kevin told her.

"Wow, guess there is some darkness in this town." Jesse joked.

"It's not just that. Cinephiles love that place, as well as car enthusiasts. Will would be backing me up right now if he wasn't too busy being half of Riverdale's new power couple." Jughead said as everyone turned to see Will next to Cheryl. They were in their booth sipping a milkshake as Will whispered something in to Cheryl's ear that made her laugh. He then kissed her head as she leaned into him.

"As much of a bad experience I've had with Cheryl, it is nice to see Will finally with someone." Kevin said.

"He does seem to be genuinely happy." Betty said, speaking for the first time tonight.

"Cheryl is a little…intense, but she's been really nice to me so far." Jesse said as she looked at Veronica and noticed her looking at Will and Cheryl. Jesse recognized that look on Veronica's face and it was of both jealousy and envy. "Everything ok, Veronica?"

"Huh?" Veronica turned to see Jesse, Kevin, Betty and Jughead looking at her funny. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Really, because you don't look fine." Kevin said, also noting the look on her face. "Feeling a little jealous that Cheryl beat you to him. And who can blame you. If only he was gay."

Kevin sighed as he looked at Will causing Jesse to chuckle. "Sorry, Kevin. I think Will's out of your reach now. But Veronica is something going on with you and Will?" She asked as Veronica looked at them.

"What, no. Will and I are fine. Just friends…friends, pals, classmates." Veronica said in an unconvincing manner.

"Uh huh." Jesse said.

"Veronica's just a little stewed because her Willikins was taken. But to be fair, she had a chance at the dance and she didn't take it." Kevin said as Veronica remembered the night of the dance when she kissed Will and then Archie.

"Well, a lot happened that night that we wish could have gone differently." Veronica said as she sipped her water.

"Wow, it's like a small-town version of _Love Actually_ with a gender swap." Jesse joked as she looked back at Will with Cheryl. "If the Twilight plays those kinds of movies, I wouldn't mind going. For certain kind of movies, you need the atmosphere."

"Well you can say goodbye to that. It's closing because the town owns it but didn't invest it in. So, when an anonymous buyer made Mayor McCoy an offer she couldn't refuse…" "Anonymous buyer?" Veronica asked. "What do they have to hide? No one cares."

"I do." Jughead told her. "Also you guys should all come to closing night. I'm thinking _American Graffiti_ …or is that too obvious?"

"I vote for anything staring Audrey Hepburn. Or Cate Blanchett." Veronica added.

"Or the _Talented Mr. Ripley_." Kevin said.

"How about _Catch me if you can_? Or if we want something mind bending, how about _Shutter Island_?" Jesse asked.

"Oh, I do like some Leo. Betty, your choices?" Kevin asked as Betty seemed a bit spaced out.

"Everything ok, B?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking. Um…maybe _Rebel without a Cause_?" Betty suggested as Jughead chuckled. Hermione then came over with a hamburger plate for Jughead and a basket of onion rings for the table.

"Here you go, kids." She said.

"Thanks mom." Veronica replied as she and Jessie ate some of the onions rings.

Cheryl who sipped her milkshake saw Hermione Lodge walk by. "It's sad and tragic. If I would have known Mama Lodge was working as a waitress at Pop's, I never would have given Veronica a spot on the Vixens. It's off-brand and sends a false message about acceptance." Cheryl said.

"Sure, if it's 1955." Will said as Cheryl gave him a look. "Come on, Cheryl. It's the 21-century. I think it is a little cliché for the whole clique Mean Girls thing nowadays."

"Will, it's important that people are reminded of their place in the social hierarchy of Riverdale." Cheryl said as Will had a coy look in his eyes.

"Well, personally…I always liked to screw with convention. If we went with the social hierarchy mindset, a lot of people would argue we shouldn't be together. Are you having doubts about us?" Will coyly got close as Cheryl smirked and kissed him as he kissed back.

"Never." She said as Will kissed her again.

"Neither do I…no matter what anyone says." Will said as he kissed her head. "You're not getting rid of me."

Cheryl leaned into him as Hermione Lodge walked over. "Can I get you kids anything else?" She asked.

"No, just the check is fine." Will told her as she nodded and put it down. Will then took out a 20-dollar bill and gave it to her.

"Be sure to put all that cash in the register. You are a Lodge after all, and Lodges are known to have sticky fingers." Cheryl told her as Veronica heard this and got up.

"Easy, Cheryl." Will calmed her down and kissed her head. "It's ok, Mrs. Lodge. Keep the change."

"Such a shame a nice boy like Will is with you. Just like your mother you don't know the difference having money and having class." Mrs. Lodge said as she walked away. Veronica had a small smirk on her face as Cheryl kept her face as neutral as possible. Will comforted her and kissed her head.

"Hey…" He turned her head as she looked at him. "I'm with you because I want to be with you. Nothing and no one can change my mind."

She managed a small smile and kissed him as Will kissed back. The door to Pop's dinged opened as some new arrivals walked in. "Now that's an odd combo of people." Will heard Kevin say as he turned around and saw Archie, Mr. Andrews, and Ms. Grundy walk in.

"What the hell?" Will said to himself as he saw Betty get up despite Jughead trying to stop her.

"Wait, what's happening?" Kevin asked as Betty walked over and talked to Archie which then led to them going outside to talk.

"Who's the cute redhead?" Jesse asked as Kevin looked at her.

"You too?" He asked as she was confused. "That's Archie Andrews, another one in our little circle of friends. Cute, right?"

"Very." Jesse said as she looked out the window at him and Betty.

"He did the hot guy transformation over the summer, six pack and all." Kevin said as Jesse smirked.

"Cheryl, I'll be right back. I promise." Will kissed her head as he got up. "Don't give Jesse any ideas, Kevin."

Kevin and Jessie looked at him as he walked out of Pop's to see Betty talking to Archie.

"Archie, as your best friend…is there anything you want to tell me?" Betty asked as Archie was confused.

"Uh…I don't think so." Archie replied as Betty sighed.

"Ms. Grundy was a Sweet Water River on July 4th. Were you with her?" Betty asked, hoping not to hear him say yes.

"Did Jughead tell you?" Archie asked as Betty was shocked.

"Jughead knows about this?" Betty asked.

"He's not the only one." Will said as he walked over.

"You knew?" Betty was shocked that Will knew as well and that he didn't say anything.

"Long story and clearly someone needs a reminder of what I said." Will told him as Kevin, Jughead, Jesse, and Veronica were in the diner seeing the tree talk.

"What's happening out there? Do we know? Is it about me?" Veronica asked as Jughead sank into his seat.

"I have a strong inkling. And no, also I'd let it go." Jughead told her.

"Yes, but you're you and I'm me. You do you, girl. I'll be back." Veronica said as she got up.

"Wait for me, I'm coming. I'm curious." Jesse said as she followed Veronica.

"What was it like before Veronica got here?" Kevin asked Jughead who took one of her onion rings. "I honestly cannot remember."

"Betty, listen to me it's not what you're thinking." Archie told her.

"So, it's platonic?" Betty asked as Archie struggled to come up with the words.

"Far from it." Will took out his phone and brought up the picture of the two of them in the music room, almost kissing.

"Dude, get rid of that picture." Archie told him.

"Oh my god. Archie, you and Ms. Grundy are together? Like romantically?" Betty asked.

"Oh my god." They heard as they turned to see Veronica and Jesse walk over to them. "You and your music teacher are having an affair?"

"Wow, I was not expecting that." Jesse said.

"We are…together. Look, I know that sounds bad. But…" "Bad? It's sounds like scandalous." Veronica interrupted him.

"It sounds like jail time to me. Seriously illegal." Jesse said.

"Not for him, for her." Will said as they looked at him. "Law protects the underage individual, but the adult can get minimum of 5 years in jail and up to 25 depending on the circumstances."

"All right, calm down Will. Don't go there." Archie told him.

"Too late, already past that." Will replied.

"Ronnie, a little help here?" Archie asked as Veronica tried to come up with something to say.

"I mean, technically Will is right about this. And ethically, well what is Ms. Grundy to you? Your girlfriend? Your booty tutor?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know. I don't know what to call her." Archie said.

"You said that you were at the river alone. You lied to Sheriff Keller, to all of us. Why? To protect her?" Betty asked.

"Look, she believed in me when no one else did." Archie told them.

"That's a stupid excuse." Will told him. "Archie, I believed in you when you came to tell me about the music thing. Hell, I helped you write those songs and practice. I've always believed in you in whatever you've wanted to do. Betty believes in you and so does Ronnie. So, what? Just because Grundy spreads her legs for you and took you for the whole summer you need to lie to her to protect a sexual predator?"

"Don't talk about her like that." Archie told him, getting aggravated with him.

"Well, it's what she is. And I believe I made myself very clear with her about what would happen if I saw her with you. Clearly my warning didn't work. Maybe this one will." Will said as he turned to walk back into the diner, but Archie grabbed his arm.

"You're not doing that." Archie warned him as Will yanked his arm free and glared at him.

"You're really going to stop me to protect her?" Will asked as Archie got in his face but with Will being taller than him, he was outmatched.

"Guys, take it easy." Veronica said, trying to break them up before they threw fists.

"Will, easy." Jesse tried to calm him down.

"The Archie Andrews I knew growing up, the one I look at like a little brother was smart enough to know right from wrong. Clearly, your summer with her screwed you up if you're willing to protect her." Will told him.

"Will, I'm warning you. Back off." Archie told him.

"You know me better then to ask that. You can't see it but I'm trying to protect you, Archie. This relationship isn't healthy for you." Will told him.

"What do you know about any of this? Just because Cheryl finally agreed to go out with you, it makes you the expert on all relationships?" Archie asked.

"No, but I'm smart enough to understand when that woman is taking advantage of an underage kid and engage in something illegal when I see it and clearly you don't. You're under the age of consent Archie and she's 30. Not good numbers." Will told him. "And the fact that you were willing to protect her and lie to Sheriff Williams about what happened at Sweetwater River aren't good signs, Archie."

"Betty, say something please." Archie said as Betty couldn't form any coherent words and before she could they heard the honking of a car. Said car drove up to Pop's and they saw it was Betty's mom. Betty's mom was about to say hi when she looked at Veronica and Archie.

"Get in the car, Betty. Now." She ordered as Betty did. "What have I told you about Archie and Veronica?"

"Can we just go?" Betty said as Mrs. Copper couldn't drive fast enough.

"Come on, Will. Let's go inside." Jesse said as she took his arm and dragged him back inside.

"Oh, Archie. You're in it deep this time." Veronica said to him before she went back in as well.

"What happened?" Kevin asked.

"Nothing, Kevin." Will told him as he looked over at Grundy who saw him. Will didn't need to say anything as his glare did it for him. He sat back down next to Cheryl who noticed he was on edge.

"Will?" Will turned his head to see Cheryl looking at him with concern. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just uh…Archie being stubborn and an idiot." Will said as Cheryl kissed him.

"Guess the chrysalis of puberty only changed his looks instead of his brain. Lucky for me, I have some arm candy that is also smart." Cheryl said as Will began to feel better.

"How lucky am I to have you?" Will asked as Cheryl thought for a moment.

"Very." She said as she kissed him. Cheryl then looked at her phone and saw it was getting late.

"Need to head back?" He asked as she nodded.

"Yes, before mommy dearest losses it." She said as Will nodded and they got up from their booth.

"Jesse, I'm going to give Cheryl a ride home. I'll be back to pick you up." He said as Jesse nodded.

"I can give her a ride back if that's ok?" Kevin said as Will looked at Jesse who nodded.

"Sure thing. Thanks, Kevin." Will replied as he nodded.

"Happy to help. Enjoy yourselves." Kevin said as Will shook his head with a chuckle as he and Cheryl walked out of the diner. They walked over to Will's Impala when Cheryl stopped because she saw Mrs. Lodge talking with a South Side Serpent behind a dumpster.

"Hello, there. I spy with my little eye Hermione Lodge full of secrets." Cheryl said as Will looked and saw Hermione talking to a Serpent who Will recognized. The conversation got very heated and it looked like he was threatening or warning her. "Riddle me this Will, why is Veronica's mother having a clandestine tat-a-tat with a Serpent behind a dumpster at Pop's?"

"I don't know but whatever it is, it can't be good." Will said as Cheryl took out her phone and snapped a picture. She looked at it as she adopted a playful smirk on her face. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Will and Cheryl got in his Impala and drove away. He drove through town up to the Blossom Mansion and drove up the long driveway, escorting Cheryl to her front door. "I'll see you tomorrow, babe." Will said as he kissed her, and she kissed back. "Want me to pick you up?"

"No. Josie's picking me up tomorrow. I'll see you later." She said as she kissed him one last time before she walked inside Thornhill with a little sway in her hips. She looked back with a smirk as she closed the door and Will exhaled.

"Whew. She's something." Will said as he got back into his car and drove home, taking his thoughts away from his girlfriend and thinking what the hell FP was doing with Hermione Lodge. What kind of shit were the Serpents up to in North Riverdale with the Lodges and why did he have the sinking feeling it wasn't good.

Line Break xxxxx

The next morning, Will drove him and Jesse in and he immediately went to the Blue & Gold figuring Betty would be there and he was right. He saw her at her desk busy doing some computer work. "Betty." Will said, drawing her attention away from the computer as she quickly hid her notebook like she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "Something you want to share?"

"I'm just doing a little homework that's all." Betty said as Will walked over and sat down on her desk next to the computer. He saw the computer screensaver was on, so he pressed a few buttons and it came back up to show various search attempts for Geraldine Grundy.

"Homework, huh?" Will asked.

"Ok, look. I know how it's going to sound, and I know Archie cares about her, but I want to investigate Miss Grundy." Betty stood up and she was in full Nancy Drew mode.

"Betty—" "I know how it must sound to come from me that I'm just doing this because things didn't work out between me and Archie but it's not." Betty interrupted him before he could say his sentence.

"Betty—" "And I know how incredibly dangerous it is for him to be with her but she's a high school teacher who's sleeping with a high school boy and who knows what else she's done." Betty said, once again interrupting Will.

"Betty! —" "And she got Archie to lie to the Sheriff about being at Sweetwater River and I don't think it's just because she was with Archie." Betty said.

"BETTY!" Will shouted as he grabbed her and shook her a bit to get her to stop talking. "Stop going all Nancy Drew on me for one second and let me speak."

Betty cleared her throat and calmed down. "Sorry." She said as Will chuckled.

"It's fine. Now, if you'd let me speak I was about to tell you that I'll help look into Grundy." Will told her.

"You will?" Betty asked as Will nodded.

"Definitely. Archie can't see it, but this is for his own good. Something about that woman doesn't add up and if he can't see it then it's up to us to figure it out." Will said as she agree. "Sometimes being a good friend means making the hard choices to help someone."

"And this one will be hard." Betty said as he nodded.

"But we do it together. Besides, a Sherlock is gonna need a Watson." Will joked as she chuckled.

"If your talking about the Robert Downey version of Sherlock, I can see Will passing as a Watson." They heard as they turned to see Jesse standing by the door.

"Jesse, what are you doing here?" Will asked.

"Came to sign up for the Blue & Gold." She said as Will and Betty looked at each other.

"You want to join the paper?" Betty asked.

"Yeah. You know, the voice of the people and all that stuff. Besides, I love getting to the bottom of a good mystery. And this one is a little personal to me." Jesse said as Will and Betty were confused.

"What do you mean personal? You hardly know Archie." Betty said.

"True, I don't know the cute but confused ginger, but I know what he's going through." Jesse said.

"Oh, please tell me I'm about to hear what I think I am about to hear. I don't need the first few memories of my sister to be like that." Will said as he plugged his ears.

"Relax, Will it's not me but someone I knew at my old school." Jesse told him as Will sighed in relief. "He was a friend and he was in a relationship with a female teacher."

"What happened?" Betty asked as Jesse sighed.

"Nothing good. I figured it out and tried to help him, but he wouldn't budge. Eventually it came out and the teacher was sent to jail for statutory rape." Jesse said as she grimaced at the memories she was bringing up. "As for my friend…well, let's just say things got a whole lot worse for him. It got to the point where he and his family had to leave for a fresh start but in this day and age…no where is a fresh start."

"Well, let's help him before that happens." Will said as they nodded.

"Except I've spent all of last night and this morning looking up everything there is and there's practically nothing." Betty said.

"Why not just ask her?" Jesse asked.

"Jesse, that'd kind of get rid of the point of investigating her and helping Archie if we go right up to her and ask her a bunch of questions." Will said.

"True, but we're the school newspaper. It's not uncommon for us to conduct interviews with teachers for articles." Jesse said as Betty and Will looked at each other.

"Are you sure she's your sister because she seems a little smarter than you?" Betty asked as Will as he gave her a look. "I'll go talk to Ms. Grundy about an interview."

"Good idea." Will said as Betty grabbed her bag and left. "Not bad, Jesse. So, why are you helping? Really?"

"Because I saw that despite the tough exterior you put last night, you're really concerned about Archie. And…I want to help. If we're really gonna be siblings, then we need to stick together through the good and the bad." Jesse said as Will smiled. "And hopefully it'll put some points in my corner with the red head."

"Oh, Jesse." Will sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"What? I have a thing for red heads just like you. And don't think you can tell me who I can or can't date because I'll tell you now that conversation won't be pleasant." Jesse warned him.

"I'm not. I don't have the right to do that to you. But Archie?" Will asked.

"You have your likes, I have mine." Jesse said as she got up and left.

"Good grief. I'm starting to wish I was an only child again." Will said as he grabbed his bag and walked with Jesse.

Kevin and Veronica were chilling in the student lounge before class as Kevin was at the vending machine, bemoaning the fact that he was single and didn't have a date for the Drive-in.

"It's this quintessential rite of passage, making out with your boy or girlfriend at the movies." Kevin said as he grabbed a candy bar and slipped onto the couch in a huff.

"Why don't we go together? I can't promise you any action, but maybe I'll bring you good luck." Veronica said.

"Great. Another night, another hag." Kevin said as Veronica chuckled. Cheryl then walked in wearing a red sleeveless blouse, black skirt, heels and her hair done up in a ponytail.

"Speaking of hags, Veronica it's so devastating to me that your mother has to sink to such unspeakable lows just to keep those knockoff Hermes bags on your arm. What's next, selling her hair extensions?" Cheryl asked, faking concern while Veronica just rolled her eyes.

"My mom's a waitress, Cheryl, not Fantine. And your faux concern reeks of ulterior motive. What is it?" Veronica asked.

"Only to remind you of your place in this school, nay, the town's social hierarchy. And to remind you to stay away from my boyfriend." Cheryl told her.

"Wow, Cheryl. Threatened much? Don't worry. You may be a stock character from a 90's teen movie, but I'm not. And the fact that you want me to stay away from Will suggests that you don't trust him. And no relationship can survive without trust." Veronica retorted with a smirk.

"I trust Will with my life. And our date on Saturday only confirmed that I'm the only girl for him and he's the only guy for me. After all, you have to find the right guy to treat you like the princess you are and he's the only guy in the entire world. But then again you'll never know because you blew your chance. And the night after our date was something to behold as well." Cheryl said with a sweet smile as Veronica just glared at her. "It's you I don't trust to not sink your claws and try to brainwash him. Although after what we both saw last night, I think even he's a little disenfranchised with the Lodge's."

"What are you even talking about?" Veronica asked.

"Just that on our way out we saw your mother have a clandestine meeting with a Serpent in the alley behind Pop's. They were having an extremely heated, intimate discussion. See for yourself." Cheryl said as she showed her and Kevin the photo she took on her phone and it was of Hermione speaking with a Serpent. "Something tells me that even Will's kind heart has limits. Bye."

Cheryl then left as Veronica glared at her before turning to Kevin. "Who or what is a Southside Serpent?"

"They're this gang of bikers who pretty much stays on the south side of town. And thank god, 'cause they're sort of dangerous." Kevin told her. "Drug dealers and petty thieves."

"Then what was my mom doing with one of them?" Veronica asked as Kevin shrugged.

"I don't know. But we do know one guy who was also there. One who still has a soft spot for you." Kevin said as Veronica chuckled. "Hashtag Willonica?"

"I don't think so, Kevin." Veronica said as she left to go to class. The Lunch bell ran and Veronica saw Will at his locker getting some stuff. "Will."

"Ronnie, hey. What's up?" He asked.

"Nothing much, except I got ambushed by your girlfriend this morning and got a very thinly veiled threat to stay away and not sink my claws into you." Veronica said as Will picked up her hand and looked at her nails.

"I think I'll be fine. Nicely manicured and all but I don't think these can cut me." Will joked a she chuckled. "I'll talk to Cheryl. She's a little overprotective."

"Try a lot but if I was in her position, I'd probably be the same way. That's not why I came her. I'm here because she said she saw my mother with a Southside Serpent outside of Pop's and you were there too." Veronica said as Will nodded and he motioned them to walk down the hall. "Kevin told me who they are. Gangsters and such."

"Not all of them but some are. Drugs infest everywhere but the Serpents are also just people who happened to be born on the wrong side of town. They're not all bad. I should know, my dad's friends with some of them." Will told her.

"What?" Veronica asked.

"Relax. My dad's straight as an arrow. He went to school with some of them and once you make friends with a Detmer, nothing shy of killing someone will lose it. But I also saw the conversation and…it wasn't pleasant. It really seemed like he was threatening her about something." Will said.

"Yeah, but about what? We have next to zero money so was it a shake down?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know. But if you're worried you should ask your mom. If it's serious, I can ask my dad and he can step in and maybe get us some answers." Will said as Veronica smiled.

"Thanks, Willikins." Veronica said as she smiled at him. "So, how's everything going?"

"Other than helping Betty get to the bottom of Ms. Grundy, Jesse and I are meeting with some students after school for the showcase. Jesse is thinking she needs a band and besides Josie and the Pussycats, there are other students with musical talent here." Will said as Veronica smiled.

"Oh, well then I can't wait to hear you serenade me with another song at the showcase. If it's anything like _Classic_ then I'll think I'll enjoy it." Veronica said as Will chuckled. "Come on, let's go see B."

Will and Veronica walked into the Blue & Gold to see Jesse sitting with her feet kicked up on a desk as she was busy writing something in a notebook. "Hey, you're not Betty." Jesse said.

"Thanks. Did the Adam's apple or flowing black hair give it away?" Will joked, pointing to him and Veronica causing her to chuckle.

"She said to meet her here about 10 minutes ago." Jesse said.

"Then where is she?" Veronica asked.

"Right here." Betty said as she walked. "And thanks for being here."

"No problem. How'd the interview with Grundy go?" Will asked.

"Other than confirm my suspicions about her, it did give us some new leads to follow up. She was a little dodgy but I got some of the names of the schools she supposedly taught at before coming here." Betty told them.

"What do you mean supposedly?" Veronica asked.

"Well, I did some digging and didn't find anything about her there. And the only other thing is that she taught two other students besides Archie. Tomoko Yoshido and Jason Blossom." Betty said.

"You don't think she was in relationships with them too?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know." Betty said.

"I don't think so. Jason was seeing her last year and he never had that _I just got laid expression_ Archie's been barely able to cover. Plus he was with Polly last year and this was before their breakup. Granted, I can't ask him but I'll ask Cheryl and see if she knows anything. For now, we keep digging on the Grundy front. There has to be some trace of Geraldine Grundy if that really is her name. If not the internet, then maybe City Hall or the Library might have something." Will said as they nodded. "All right, we'll meet up after school to talk our next move. I'll go see Cheryl."

Will walked out of the room as Jesse saw Veronica smile at him when he left. "Everything ok, Veronica?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Veronica said. "Come on, we have a mystery to solve."

Will walked through the halls on his way to find Cheryl and found her in the cafeteria talking to Tina and Ginger. "Cheryl." Will called as she turned to see him and smiled.

"Will." Cheryl said with a smile as she bid Tina and Ginger farewell and walked over to plant a kiss on him which he eagerly reciprocated. "Miss me?"

"You know it, beautiful. But this little meeting isn't just for lunch. I also have some questions for you." Will said as Cheryl looked at him.

"What about?" She asked.

"Betty and I are doing a piece on the teachers of the school and now we're doing one on Ms. Grundy. Jason took lessons with her right?" Will asked as Cheryl nodded.

"Yeah. Jason was always gifted with the piano and Ms. Grundy just helped him hone his skills." Cheryl said.

"Did Jason ever tell you anything about his lessons with her?" He asked.

"No, just that she was good. Although once he did come back from a lesson all flustered and slightly on edge." Cheryl said.

"On edge?" Will asked.

"Yeah, like something happened that he didn't like." Cheryl said. "Actually…it happened and the next day Jason said he stopped his lessons with Ms. Grundy."

"Really?" Will asked as she nodded. "Did he say why?"

"Just that he didn't need a tutor anymore." Cheryl said as she looked at him. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, of course. Nothing to worry your pretty red head about." Will said as he kissed her and she kissed back. "So, the drive-in is playing one last movie and I feel that as your boyfriend, our relationship would not be complete without at least one attempt of us under the stars with popcorn and watching an old movie."

"Oh, sounds tempting. What's in it for me?" She asked with a coy smile on her face causing Will to chuckle.

"Whatever you want?" He replied as she kissed him.

"Don't make any promises you can't keep." She said as Will lifted her head.

"Any promise I make to you I'll keep." Will said as she smiled and gave him a tender kiss. "So, is that a yes?"

"I think that's kind of obvious." She joked as she and Will had lunch together. After lunch, they walked to class when Will decided to broach the whole Veronica thing with her.

"So, funny thing happened today, Cheryl. Veronica told me you told her to basically stay away and not sink her claws into me." Will said as Cheryl nodded.

"I did." Cheryl said. "I see the way she looks at you, Will and I don't like it."

"I know, Cheryl. I'm not oblivious to it but you have nothing to worry about. Nothing Veronica can do shy of drugging me is going to make me leave her for you." Will said.

"I wouldn't put it past her." Cheryl said as Will lifted her head so they were looking at each other.

"Hey. I'd never do that to you. I'd rather be dead then ever put you through that." Will told her as she reached up and held his hands.

"Don't even joke about that." Cheryl said as he gingerly kissed her forehead and hugged her.

"I'm not leaving you." Will said as Cheryl leaned into his hug and felt safe. He escorted her to class and the school day went on as usual. After class was over, Will went to the Blue & Gold and saw Betty and Veronica working. "Hey, I spoke to Cheryl and I think I might have gotten her to back off a bit."

"Thanks. Although in her situation I might do the same thing." Veronica said as Will chuckled. "So, did you get anything?"

"Just that I think Ms. Grundy might have tried to make a move on Jason but he wasn't exactly comfortable with it." Will said.

"What do you mean?" Betty asked as Jesse walked in.

"I spoke with Cheryl and she said that Jason took lessons with her for piano. Things seemed fine until he came back from one lesson all flustered and on edge like something happened he wasn't comfortable with." Will told them. "And the next day, he ended his lessons with Grundy."

"So…before Archie, she might have made a pass on Jason Blossom as well?" Veronica asked as Will nodded. "I really do not like this woman."

"At least this Jason guy was smart enough to not get involved." Jesse said.

"Did you guys find anything?" Will asked as Betty sighed.

"I'm still searching but so far nothing." Betty said as he computer beeped with a successful search. "Hang on."

They all walked over and saw an old newspaper obituary for a Geraldine Grundy, a woman in her late 60s. "Well, that thickens the plot." Jesse said.

"So, what does this mean?" Veronica asked.

"That the reason we haven't been able to find anything on Ms. Grundy is that it's not her real name. She stole a dead woman's identity." Will said.

"And the only reason she would do that is if she didn't want people to know who she really is because if they found her now, they'd find a dead woman." Betty said. "Oh my god, what has Archie gotten himself into."

"So, what do we do know?" Jesse asked as Will got an idea.

"Betty, do you mind?" Will asked as Betty got up from the seat so he could use the computer. He turned on the webcam and logged into Skype.

"Will, what are you doing?" Veronica asked.

"Calling for help from people who do this for a living." Will said as he called _ESPO951_ and waited until the call went through. He waited a few seconds and the video window showed a Latino man at a desk. "Hey, Uncle Espo."

" _Little Billy, what's up?"_ Espo greeted as Will sighed.

"It's Will, Uncle Espo. Has been for most of my life and Billy isn't sticking and neither is Willy." Will told him.

" _Ah, you'll get used to it."_ Espo replied.

"No I won't. Is Ryan there?" Will asked as another man wearing a suit joined Espo in the frame.

" _Hey, there Will."_ Ryan greeted as Will smiled.

"Hey, there Ryan. Keeping Espo out of trouble?" Will asked as a woman walked into frame and bent down so everyone could see her. She was tall, had long flowing brown hair and was beautiful.

" _No, that's my job. Hey, Will."_ The woman said.

"Hey, Kate. Thanks for taking my call." Will said.

" _No problem."_ Espo said as he noticed the girls with him. _"Damn, dude. You sure do get around."_

"And this is reason why my dad says you're still not married." Will said.

" _Believe me, we all know it's the reason."_ Ryan said as Espo pushed him away.

"Uh, Willikins? Care to do a little introduction?" Veronica asked as Will nodded.

"Sorry, girls allow me to introduce you to some of New York's finest. Detective Javier Esposito, Kevin Ryan and Kate Beckett. Some of New York's finest Homicide detectives. Espo, Kevin, Kate, these are my friends Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and my sister, Jesse Detmer." Will introduce everyone to everyone.

"Hey." The girls said as Espo looked at him funny.

" _Sister?"_ He asked as Will nodded.

"You should really call my dad. He'll explain." Will said as he looked at the girls. "Espo is my godfather. He served with my dad in the military and is basically an uncle. Although, the way he acts he's more of an immature uncle."

" _That's very true."_ Ryan said as Espo shoved him away again.

"And I've met Kevin and Kate multiple times. They're good people and might be able to help us." Will said as the girls nodded. "Sorry to bother you but I could use your help."

" _Sure, what's going on?"_ Espo asked.

"The girls and I are doing an article for our school paper on the teachers and we've…run into some discrepancies." Will said.

" _What kind of discrepancies?"_ Ryan asked.

"Uh, for one. The music teacher here is a little sketchy. Aside from social media pages created a year ago, there's not a lot about her. The school still hired her so obviously she's on the up and up but we're still kind of worried." Will said. "Could you just do a search on her and make sure everything's ok?"

" _Sure, but why not ask the local police or the school board?"_ Espo asked.

"We're not sure if they'd take us seriously. They'd think we're just overreacting. And the sheriff is still preoccupied with Jason Blossom's death. Can you help us?" Betty asked.

" _For my godson, of course. Do you have a name or a picture?"_ Espo asked as Will nodded and attached Ms. Grundy's photo to an email and sent it over. " _Ok, I got it. I'll it run through facial recognition and check our database and see if we get anything."_

"Thanks, Espo. And do me a favor, don't tell my dad yet. If it's nothing, I don't need the earache he'll give me for getting involved." Will said.

" _I'm not sure if I can do that."_ Espo said.

"You owe me, Espo or I'll tell dad that I took the blame for breaking your TV when it was actually you. All that money he gave you, not to mention the fact you had your godson take the blame might not sit well with him." Will said as Espo gulped.

" _Fine. I'll let you know if I find anything."_ Espo said as he ended the call.

"Whew. All right. Hopefully that'll get us somewhere." Will said as the girls looked at him. "What?"

"When were you going to tell me that you knew actual police?" Betty and Jesse asked.

"When it became relevant. It's not exactly a causal conversation topic. Espo is my godfather, he served with my dad and they've been friends ever since. I've spent a lot of time with him over the years. If there's anything bad about Ms. Grundy, he'll find it." Will told them.

"Those names sound kind of familiar." Veronica said.

"That's because Kate is Detective Kate Beckett, the inspiration for Nikki Heat by Richard Castle." Will said as the girls went wide-eyed. "Yeah, Kate is the detective who works with The Richard Castle and Espo and Ryan work with him as well and inspires the characters Detective Miguel Ochoa and Sean Raley."

"Richard Castle as in the Richard Castle who wrote the Derik Storm series? I went to a book launch party of his." Veronica said.

"How come you never mentioned any of this?" Betty asked.

"Again, you didn't ask. I've met him a few times since he works with Kate and he's cool. A little like a child but cool." Will said. "So, while we wait for Espo to give us something, who wants to tell Archie what we found so far?"

"I have to go speak to my mother about something so I'm out." Veronica said.

"I'll do it." Betty said.

"I'll go with you." Jesse said as Betty nodded. "Having a friend there might help with telling him."

"Ok. After that we wait until Espo finds something." Will said as they nodded and went their separate ways. Will and Jesse went to one of the classrooms to meet with some students about the upcoming performance for the Variety show. For the songs they were thinking of performing, Will and Jesse needed some extra people and for the show they got a drummer, a base player, and a keyboardist. They were some of Will's and Jesse's classmates who were musically inclined and up to performing with them. They'd practice several times a week leading up to the Variety Show to make sure they were all set since they decided to perform two songs. Will was going to do a cover and Jesse was going to perform an original and it was going to be great.

After school, Will dropped Cheryl home after Vixen practice and he went home to do some homework and get some drawing in. A few hours passed, and Will saw it was around 7:30 and Jesse was not back yet. He was about to call her when she beat him to it.

"Jesse, where are you?" Will asked.

" _I'm with Betty. Archie didn't take the news of us researching his teacher booty call well. He told us to let this go."_ Jesse said as he knew Betty wasn't going to let this go.

"Betty didn't let this go, did she? Are you with her right now?" Will asked.

" _Yeah, I am. That's why I'm calling. She says she wants to break into Grundy's car to find evidence."_ Jesse said.

"Wait, what?" Will did a little double take on that. "I told her to wait until Espo got back to us."

" _Well, I don't think that is sitting with her right now."_ Jesse said.

"All right, text me where you are, I'm on my way." Will said as he grabbed his jacket, wallet and keys and drove through town to meet the girls. He parked down the street from Grundy's address so there was a lower risk of her seeing them. He got out and saw Betty and Jesse walk over to him. "Betty, what are you doing?"

"Finding evidence on Ms. Grundy. Come on." Betty said as they walked over to her car and Betty pulled out a thin metal hook.

"Are we really breaking into Ms. Grundy's car?" Jesse asked as Betty put the hook in through the window slot. "How do you even know how to do that?"

"My dad and I fix cars. Thank god she drives an old…" Betty managed to hook the lock and pulled it up to unlock it. She looked at Jesse and Will with a smile as she opened the door.

"Remind me to never let you close to my car, again." Will said as Betty got in the driver's seat and began looking around.

"Betty, right now we are probably breaking a few laws so please tell me why we're doing this?" Jesse asked.

"Because Ms. Grundy has Archie under some kind of sexual spell and he won't listen to reason. We just need to find some evidence that she isn't who she says she is." Betty said as she looked around the car for anything. She reached into the back seat and pulled out a small lock box. "Bingo. Will, do you mind?"

"Aw, what the hell." Will said as he put the box on the roof of the car and pulled out his Swizz Army knife. He took out the lock pick and got to work on opening the lock box. It took a little longer than the gym locker but it eventually ended with the distinct click of a lock opening.

"Awesome." Betty got out of the car and took the lockbox, opening it to see something wrapped in cloth and things like papers and documents. Betty pulled out a Minnesota Driver's license and Ms. Grundy's photo was on it but her name was Jennifer Gibson.

"Oh, my god. Jennifer Gibson? Who the hell is Jennifer Gibson?" Jesse asked as Will looked in the box and removed the cloth and his stomach dropped.

"That's not the only thing in here." Will said as he carefully pulled out a high-powered .44 caliber revolver. "Who the hell is this woman?"

Betty took the cloth and wrapped it around the gun and put it in her bag. They put the driver's license in the lockbox, locked it back up and put it back and made sure everything was back the way it was. They got in Will's car and he drove them to Archie's house. They'd wait and tell him all of this.

An hour later, Archie walked up to his house to see Jesse, Betty, and Will waiting for him. "Oh, god. Please don't tell me you're still on this crazy witch hunt." Archie said.

"It's not a witch hunt and it's not crazy." Betty said as she looked at Jesse and Will who nodded. "We were just in Grundy's car…"

"What? You were in her car?" Archie asked.

"Yeah, and despite the laws we probably broke, thank god we did. We found a gun." Jesse told him.

"What?" Archie asked.

"And an ID with the name Jennifer Gibson. This is proof that Ms. Grundy is not who she says she is." Betty told him.

"Then who is she?" Archie asked.

"Obviously someone who went through a lot of trouble to hide who she is and use a dead woman's identity. Think, Archie none of this is a good sign. What if she actually had something to do with Jason's death? We know he didn't die on 4th of July but a week later and his death showed signs of someone with a serious grudge or emotional conflict. No one ties someone up before shooting them unless it's personal." Will told him as Archie just shook his head. "She had him as a student and tried to start a relationship with him when he rebuffed her advances. She made you lie about him, do everything she could to stop you from going to Sheriff Keller and she has a gun."

"So, does Dilton Doiley, but you never thought he killed Jason?" Archie said.

"Because he doesn't have motive, Archie. Open your eyes and think with your head. Everything about her is a lie." Will told him.

"Ok, whatever her name is, she's not a killer." Archie said.

"You didn't ask her, did you?" Betty asked. "About her name? And why there's no record of her last year? Why not?"

Archie just shook his head and walked into his house. "What's wrong with him?" Betty asked.

"He's doesn't want to open Pandora's office. He's content being blissfully unaware." Will said as he looked at Betty and Jesse. "Ok, no one can know about this. Betty, get rid of that gun and don't say anything to anyone. I'll talk to Espo tomorrow and see what he can get us on Jennifer Gibson."

"All right." Betty said as she walked home and Will drove Jesse home as well. He parked in the driveway as Jesse got out but she saw Will wasn't getting out of the car.

"You coming in?" She asked.

"Later. There's something I need to do right now." Will told her.

"You're not going to confront Grundy now, are you?" She asked as Will shook his head no.

"No, I'm not stupid. There's someone else I need to talk to. I'll be back in half an hour." Will said.

"Ok. I'd think you'd want to spend more time with Cheryl." Jesse said as she walked in.

"If only that's where I was going." Will said as he pulled out of the driveway and began making his way to the south side of town. The Northside and Southside of Riverdale were like night and day. The Northside was prim and proper, full of hope while the Southside was gritty and down on its luck. It's where a lot of the gang violence and drugs occurred in Riverdale and were where people who were down on their luck often resided. Will didn't have any negative opinions on the Southside, Jughead was from Southside and he's his best friend. Will had negative opinions on people, not places.

Will drove through the Southside and pulled his Impala up to a bar named the Whyte Wyrm. The parking lot was filled with motorcycles and guys wearing leather jackets with Serpents on them. The Wyrm was home base for the Southside Serpents. Will grabbed the Taser gun from his glove box and slipped it into his pocket. He got out of the car, locked it and walked into the bar getting a few side glances from the Serpents who were wondering what a Northsider was doing here. Will made his way over to the bar where he saw a girl his age mixing some drinks. Her back was turned and she was wearing boots, black leather pants, a black tank top and a blue flannel cutoff over it and her hair had a light purple mixed in. Will walked over to the bar and leaned against it.

"I don't suppose you can help me find someone?" Will asked as the girl stopped for a bit before she kept mixing drinks.

"Depends on who you're looking for." She said as she still had her back turned.

"That would be a spunky, feisty yet earnest and surprisingly warm-hearted woman who bartends here." Will said as the girl chuckled. "I've known her most of my life and she's a good friend. She's got amazing talent with a camera that could take her places and could easily kick the butt of every guy in here."

"Sounds like quite a girl." She replied.

"And growing up she kept telling me how much of a chicken I was because I couldn't get a girlfriend which just bruised my ego." Will joked as the girl chuckled and turned around.

"Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" She asked as Will chuckled.

"How you doing, Toni?" Will asked as Toni smiled back.

"I'm doing good." She replied. This was Antoinette Topaz, or as she preferred, Toni. She was a member of the Southside Serpents and a good friend of Will. Her dad and Will's dad served in the military together so when they got back to Riverdale, they were like brothers and that meant that Will and Toni hung out a lot growing up. They were close and despite growing up on different sides of town, they were still friends and when Toni's dad died, Will and his father looked out for her, even offering to have her move up North with them but Toni was happy on the south side. "So, you here bothering me at work because you're finally admitting your feelings for me and acting on them?"

"That depends, if I said yes, would you accept?" Will asked as Toni chuckled.

"Sorry, wolf but I'm not that easy. You want to go out on a date with me, you'll have to earn it." Toni joked as Will chuckled.

"As much as I would like to try that…I'm spoken for, Toni. Sorry." Will said as Toni raised an eyebrow.

"Really? All the years I've known you and you're finally taken. What changed?" Toni asked.

"A little bit of impulsive actions and tired of seeing an opportunity pass. Why, jealous?" Will asked as Toni chuckled.

"Not gonna give you the satisfaction of answering that. So, who's the lucky girl?" Toni asked as she got some beers and put them on a tray and handed them to a bartender.

"Cheryl Blossom." Will said as Toni chuckled.

"Cheryl Blossom, as in the high and mighty princess of the Northside? Oh, Will what happened to you?" Toni asked as Will chuckled.

"Nothing, Toni. I've known Cheryl as long as I've known you. I think you met her once when we were kids. She's a good person deep down…just in a bad situation at home. Not all Northsiders live the dream. Besides, I have a thing for tough girls with amazing hair. You should know, we're friends." Will joked as Toni chuckled.

"I'll take your word for it." Toni replied.

"How's your grandpa?" Will asked.

"Fine. Still kicking." Toni said.

"That man will outlive all of us." Will said as he looked around the bar. "How are things here?"

"Fine. Business as usual. So what do you really need besides visiting an old friend?" Toni asked as she cleaned a cup with a towel.

"I need to talk to FP." Will said as Toni looked at him.

"What for?" Toni asked.

"It's kind of important. Could you let him know I need to talk to him?" Will asked as Toni thought for a moment.

"Only because it's you." Toni said as she walked over to the phone and called up to FP's office to let him know Will Detmer was here to see him. It was a few seconds and she returned to her job and got a bottle of beer and placed it in front of Will. "On the house."

"I'm good. I don't drink during the week." Will said as Toni chuckled.

"Still the goody-goody Northsider." Toni said. "You should really cut loose one of these days."

"Hopefully I won't need to." Will said as he heard some movement behind him and his gut told him he had trouble. He looked at Toni who was looking behind him. "Problem?"

"I think so. Hope you haven't lost the Detmer's penchant for getting out of trouble?" Toni asked as Will was turned around by a Serpent.

"What the hell are you doing here, Northsider?" He asked as Will fixed his jacket.

"Relax. I'm just here to talk to someone. I'm not here to cause any trouble." Will said as the Serpent got in his face.

"Well you got trouble. We don't want your kind here." He said.

"Hey, Mustang. Back off. He's cool." Toni told him.

"Shut the hell up, Topaz and stay out of this." Mustang said to her.

"Relax, Mustang. I'm not here for trouble. And I'd be careful how you speak to her." Will warned him causing Mustang to chuckle.

"Aw…isn't that cute? The Northsider here wants himself some Southside ass." Mustang said.

"Excuse me?" Toni was offended at that.

"Ok. I'm usually a very calm individual and I came here not to cause trouble but the second you insult a dear friend of mine is where I draw the line. Toni's a serpent just like you and that should afford her some respect." Will told him.

"I'm not going to take any lip from some Northside brat. Now get the hell out of here." Mustang told him.

"Not until I've said my peace and you apologize to Toni." Will warned him.

"I'm not gonna ask again. You've got until the count of five—" Mustang grabbed his arm, but Will yanked it free.

"How about the count of three?!" Will warned him as he got in Mustang's face, ready to fight and his hand was set on his taser.

"One—" "Two..." Will shot back, not backing down from Mustang at all.

"Enough, Mustang!" They heard as they saw FP Jones walking down from the second-floor office with Tall Boy in tow. "If the kid is anything like his father and believe me he is, you don't want to pick a fight with him. Go cool off."

Mustang growled in anger and walked away with the other Serpents as Will let out a sigh of relief. "What the hell were you thinking? Were you trying to get yourself killed?" Toni couldn't believe what she just saw and thought he had lost his mind.

"Relax, Toni. I had the situation under control…" Will lifted up his jacket to show the taser in the inside pocket. "mostly. But thanks for worrying."

"Well, I was right to worry. Mustang would have killed you. Like he literally would have killed you." Toni told him.

"She's right, kid. Mustang's the hot-headed Serpent here and he's not too fond of Northsiders." FP said, having walked over to the bar, and grabbed the beer Will didn't drink. "You're lucky I should up when I did."

"Well, Detmers have been known to be lucky. Normally I wouldn't pick a fight, but no one insults a friend." Will told him causing FP to chuckle.

"I forgot how much you're like your father. What are you doing here, kid?" FP questioned.

"We need to talk." Will said to him as FP drank some of the beer.

"What about kid?" FP asked.

"About why you were at Pop's diner arguing with Hermione Lodge." Will said as FP gave Will a look. Toni who was at the bar doing her job overheard the conversation and couldn't help but be intrigued.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid." FP replied as Will crossed his arms.

"I saw you there behind the dumpster at Pop's. I even have a photo." Will took out his phone and showed FP the photo Cheryl took. He had her send him a copy. "Normally I would keep my nose out of other people's business except when it might have something to do with my friends and she happens to be the mother of one of them. What's going on, FP?"

"Nothing, kid. I admire your loyalty and drive but stay out of this. This business is something a kid shouldn't be involved with." FP said as he took the beer and walked away.

"I know you've missed some birthday celebrations but I'm not a kid, I'm a legal adult. And you should know me better than to ask me to let it go because I won't." Will told him as FP stopped and looked back at him.

"You're right. I do know you better than that, but you won't find out anything, kid. I admire your drive but leave this alone." FP told him as he finished the beer. "Are you still looking out for my boy?"

"Always." Will replied.

"Good. Keep him out of trouble." FP said as he left. Will leaned back against the bar and sighed in defeat, he was expecting this to be the outcome but he still came anyway to give it a shot. Can't blame a guy for trying.

"Everything ok, Will?" Toni asked as Will sighed.

"No, Toni. FP's up to something and my gut tells me it's gonna backfire bad. I know dangerous business follows the Serpents but this might be different." Will turned around and looked at Toni. "Toni, I know this is a lot to ask but let me know if something's going on."

"If something's going on? Will, something's always going on." Toni told him.

"I know but this is different." Will said as she nodded. "Thanks, Toni."

"No problem." Toni said as she looked at him and saw even with the thing going on with FP he seemed to have a lot on his mind. "Everything ok? You've got that classic Will Detmer _I'm gonna get into trouble_ look on your face."

"Something tells me it's less I'm going to get into trouble and more trouble's gonna find me." Will said as Toni touched his shoulder.

"Hey, you need anything just call, ok?" Toni let him know she was available. "We're friends and nothing's gonna change that. Not even you dating the princess of Riverdale."

"Thanks, Toni. Likewise. You should come up this weekend to hang out or for dinner. I'm sure my dad would be happy to see you and your grandpa again…and you can meet Jesse." Will told her as she was confused.

"Who's Jesse?" Toni asked.

"She's my sister." Will said as Toni was even more confused. "A lot has happened since we last spoke."

Line Break xxxxx

The next day, Will and his friends were back at school. Archie hadn't spoken to them since last night when they told him the truth about Ms. Grundy. Will, Betty, Veronica, Jesse, and Jughead were in the Blue & Gold office in their free period. Jughead was in a bad mood because he spent the past two days trying to speak to Mayor McCoy, Mr. Andrews, and anyone to try and stop the destruction of the Drive-in, if at least delay it but he couldn't do anything. He was sitting in a chair with a pouting expression on his face.

"Sorry, Jughead. I know how much this must have meant to you." Betty said as Jughead nodded.

"Mark this in your calendar as the day everything good in Riverdale died." Jughead said.

"A little melodramatic there, Jughead Jones?" Veronica questioned as she was sitting next to Jesse.

"Oh, leave him be. There's a lot of good memories tied to that place. Among other things." Will said as he looked at Jughead. "And while I know the place hasn't been the same as when we were kids, Jughead is right about one thing. Riverdale's changing. It's not the same town as when we were kids. What we've been dealing with the past two days is a prime example."

They all looked at Will when he said this, thinking that he might be onto something but were pulled out of that when they heard the computer chime, signifying someone was trying to Skype with them. Betty looked over and saw it was someone calling on Will's account.

"Will." Betty called him as he walked over and saw it was Espo calling him, so he got in the seat and answered. The screen activated and they saw Espo at his desk in the precinct.

"Espo, hey. Did you find anything?" He asked as he nodded.

" _Yeah, and it's a good think you called me because you're hunch was right. Your teacher isn't who she says she is."_ Espo told them.

"Then who is she?" Betty asked as Espo typed on his keyboard and mirrored the file on his computer, so Will and the girls could see it.

" _Her birth name is Jennifer Gibson, a 34-year old music teacher from Minneapolis Minnesota."_ Espo said as the screen showed them a copy of her Minnesota Driver's License, just like the one they found in her car.

"Jennifer Gibson. So she's not Geraldine Grundy. What else did you find out about her?" He asked as Ryan came into frame with her file.

" _There's not a lot here, nothing criminal anyways. Solid law abiding citizen, Julliard graduate and divorced woman."_ Ryan said.

"Divorced? What for?" Will asked.

" _Domestic abuse, and rightly so because her ex-husband is a grade A scumbag. She wound up in the hospital a few times, once with some broken ribs and a broken collar bone. The husband declines knowing he did it but that didn't stop her. She got the divorce papers and skipped town and it's a good thing she did."_ Ryan said.

"What do you mean?" Jesse asked.

" _We talked to a detective in Minneapolis and the divorce was anything but amicable. The husband threw out some threats against her and officers had to restrain him multiple times at the divorce filing. After she skipped town, he put out a missing persons request but given what happened, they didn't file it. Word has it, he's still trying to find her and I hope she doesn't because this guy seems like bad news."_ Espo said as Will nodded.

"Thanks for clearing all this up, Espo. Guess our hunch was right. Do me a favor and send me a copy. I'll give it to the Sheriff." He said as Espo nodded.

" _Sure thing. And remember, I had nothing to do with this. I don't need the lecture and earache your old man will give me."_ Espo told him, causing Will to chuckle.

"Believe me, I won't tell him." Will ended the call as Espo sent everything over to his email.

"Poor Ms. Grundy…I mean, Ms. Gibson. No one deserves that." Veronica said as they all agreed with her on that. Betty noticed Will thinking about something, most likely their next move.

"Ok, Will. So, what do we do?" Jughead asked as they looked at him and he looked at them.

"Same as before. I'll print all this out and give it to Sheriff Keller." Will said.

"You want to turn her in?" Betty asked.

"Turn her in? I'm not sure but one thing for sure is that she can't stay here." Will said.

"You heard what Espo found." Veronica said.

"I did Ronnie and I feel bad for her and her situation…but that doesn't excuse what she's been doing, right?" Will asked as he saw they all had second feelings about what they were going to do now. "Seriously? You're all going to back down now?"

"Look, we did this to see if Grundy was involved with Jason Blossom's death and now we've put her in the less likely category." Veronica told him.

"That still doesn't mean we're ok with what she has going on with Archie." Will replied.

"And we're not, Will. But is turning her into the police really the right thing to do?" Jesse asked.

"I wasn't going to turn her into the police, I'm not heartless. What I was going to finish saying is that Grundy—Jennifer Gibson, whatever, she can't stay in Riverdale." Will told her. "I was going to give her an ultimatum to leave Riverdale for good and when she was gone, I'd give Sheriff Keller all the information. I'm not heartless."

"So rather than have her arrested, you're gonna blackmail her into leaving?" Jughead asked.

"Would you rather she sticks around after everything we've learned about her?" Will asked as she saw that some of them were contemplating the decision. "Oh, my god you guys actually have to think about this."

"Don't you?" Veronica asked.

"Not really. The only thing I would have to think about would be how to do all this and I've already figured that out. If she would rather risk sticking around in this town instead of heeding my warning then that's up to her because quite frankly, I'm not comfortable with her in town at all." Will said as he saw they were still on the fence. "Guys, come on. Despite everything we've learned she's still a predator and a pedophile."

"We know Will but it's a bit more complicated than that." Veronica said.

"How is it complicated, Ronnie? What, because of Archie?" Will asked as they shrugged. "Look, I get it, I do. I've known Archie his entire life but if he actually thinks he can have something with this woman than he needs a serious wakeup call. I can't believe I have to stress this again but she's a divorced woman using another woman's identity and is in her mid-30s while he's 16. This isn't some kind of secret love like Romeo & Juliet or some illicit affair that needs to stay hidden, this is statutory rape first and foremost and to think of it as anything else is just stupid and ignorant."

"Careful, Will you're overprotective side is showing." Jughead said.

"Well it shows when something like this comes up pertaining to my friends who I've been watching over for the past 16 years." Will said.

"Will, if you were in Archie's position would you—""I'd want you guys to do the exact same thing I'm suggesting now." Will said, answering Veronica's question without hesitation. "I get you guys don't want to make Archie mad and that he told us to back off but being a good friend also means making the hard choices to protect them."

Everyone listened to Will speak and they all had to admit he made a valid point. "We're not doing Archie any favors just by doing nothing. Yes, he'll hate us for what we did but he'll realize we did it because we care about him and to protect him. What if someone else found out about this by now? They'd blab it to everyone the second they found out and Archie's life would literally be a living hell like Jesse told me and Betty." Will told them. "And not just for Archie, if it was Jughead I'd do the exact same thing. Hell, if it was Betty, Ronnie, or Jesse then the teacher would be in the hospital at this point."

"Ok, we get it." Jughead said as Will sighed.

"Guys, you know this is the right thing to do. But no one ever said that the right thing would be the easiest." Will told them.

"He's right." Betty said, agreeing with him. "Like always, Will knows what's best."

"He's got the moral high ground here." Jughead added.

"Ok, I'm in." Veronica said as Will looked at Jesse.

"I'm in too. I'm not going to be the odd girl out." Jesse said. "So, who wants to talk to Archie?"

"I'll do it. I'll let him know." Betty said as Will nodded.

"All right. I'll talk to Ms. Gibson tomorrow. I'll give her 48 hours to leave Riverdale or Sheriff Keller will come visit her about her supposed fake identity." Will said as they nodded and grabbed their stuff to leave. Betty and Jesse left to talk to Archie while Jughead left to head to the Drive-in. Will grabbed his backpack as Veronica walked up to him.

"You really sure this is the best idea?" Veronica asked. "I know that your right about everything and I agree with you but is this really the best thing to do?"

"It's the only option we have. If you guys are really against sending her to jail after what we learned then…this is the next best thing to protect Archie." Will told her as she understood. "I'm not comfortable with her in Riverdale and something like this is a ticking time bomb and it won't be long before someone else finds out. If Mr. Andrews finds out, he'd lock up Archie in the garage and if Mrs. Cooper found out, she's make Archie's life a living hell. This is the best way to protect him."

"But what about Grundy…I mean, Gibson?" Veronica asked.

"That's up to her. If she wants to stick around and deal with Sheriff Keller coming to confront her about her stolen identity then she's more than welcome to. If she does, her entire life will be under a microscope which is exactly what she doesn't want. She won't stick around so the only option for her is to leave. Once she's gone, Sheriff Keller and the school board are notified of who she is and she won't be able to come back." Will said.

"Kind of ruthless and cold-hearted, Will." Veronica said to him.

"What do you want me to do, Ronnie? Let her stay because that's not an option." Will told her. "Look, I sympathize with her situation, I do. No one deserves that but that doesn't mean she can just come to our town and have an illegal, might I add again, illegal relationship with Archie."

"I get that, I do." Veronica said.

"Do you guys?" Will asked. "To be honest, I never thought I'd have to stress this point so much but this isn't something Archie shouldn't dismiss so easily. What Gibson is doing is illegal. Its statutory rape, clean and clear and it doesn't matter if Archie wanted it or it was consensual, it's statutory rape. To think of it like some kind of illicit affair or forbidden romance is stupid, ignorant and quite frankly offensive to the people out there in the world who are a victim of this."

"Ok, Will. Ease up on the righteous indignation. I already said I agreed with you." Veronica said as Will sighed and calmed down a bit.

"I'm sorry, Ronnie but this whole thing bothers me." He said.

"Why? I know Archie is like a brother to you, but this seems less like protecting a brother and more like its personal." Veronica said.

"It's not. Nothing like this happened to me but…" Will took a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "growing up, it was just me and my dad after my mom left. He raised me to be just like him and I like to think I take after him in a lot of ways. One of which is my moral compass. He taught me right from wrong and I've lived my life that way ever since. I know the world's a complicated place and I can't change all of it but he told me that all it takes for bad people to do what they want is for good people to stand idly by and do nothing. I did nothing for too long. Time to act."

"Modern day knight in shining armor." Veronica

"I was overprotective of Archie, Betty, Kevin, and Jughead. The way they are now, believe me they were ever more of a handful as kids. But the thought of what Ms. Grundy has done to Archie the past few months and the fact that I didn't see it kills me." Will told her. "I guess Jughead's right. My overprotectiveness is showing."

"It's all right. It's charming that you're so overprotective." Veronica said with a smile.

"I got that from my dad too." Will replied as they left the Blue & Gold and walked over to his locker. "So, Kevin told me you and he and heading to the Drive-in tonight. It's nice what you're doing for him. It's been hard for him."

"Well, a nice night out with a good friend and classic movie might do him some good." Veronica said as they walked down the hall. "Are you coming tonight too?"

"If something doesn't go wrong, yeah. I think my dad is taking my mom there." Will said as Veronica looked at him.

"How are you dealing with all that? I mean, I know it must have been hard having her come back after all this time and learning of her Leukemia but…how's everything at home?" Veronica was curious to see how things were with him.

"Honestly…I'm still not sure." Will said as she looked at him. "You know with her being back, she and my dad have reconciled, I think but…I'm not sure I have completely reconciled with her."

"What do you mean?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know. Sure she's back and everything and I call her mom and stuff but…I don't know. I can't even put a word to it." Will said as Veronica looked concerned. "Is this stupid?"

"No, it's completely understandable." She told him. "I remember our conversation at Pop's and if anyone should still have lingering issues then it's you. And no one expects you to pull a 180 and be ok with it like nothing happened. If anyone understands what you could possibly going through it's me and believe me I get it."

"Thanks, Ronnie. Guess I just needed to hear it." Will said.

"If something is bothering you, then maybe you should talk to your parents." Veronica told her.

"I'll take that advice into consideration. Thanks. I'll see you tonight…maybe." Will bid her adieu and walked over to his locker to get his stuff and left to head home.

Betty and Jesse met with Archie when he was leaving and talked to him on the way home. Archie told them that Grundy told him the truth about her fake identity, why she's been so secretive and the deal with her ex-husband and the story matched up with what Betty and Jesse learned from Esposito.

"It's intense, right? That's why she has a fake ID and a gun." Archie told them.

"Yeah, but Archie it still doesn't make what she did to you ok." Betty told her.

"She didn't do anything, ok Betty you have to accept that. And I'm all she has." Archie said.

"I've only known you a few days, Archie but I can say you're in over your head." Jesse said as Archie looked at her. "You know, I knew someone like you once. He was my friend at my old school, and he got himself in the same situation you did. He and his teacher got into a relationship and I did my best to try and help him, but he ignored me, and every single warning and you know what happened? It came out. The teacher went to prison and the humiliation my friend experienced…it was enough to ruin his life that he and his family needed to move. This kind of relationship is only going to end one way."

"She's right, Archie. Ok, you're in this relationship with someone who's forcing you to cut off everyone else in your life. Just actually think about what you're doing. Not just for you but for her. Is this really what's best for her?" Betty asked.

"I am going to deal with this…but on my terms, not yours." Archie told her.

"Well, I hope that dealing with it means ending it because in two days Sheriff Keller will know about her." Jesse said as Archie looked at her, not expecting that news.

"What do you mean he'll know?" Archie asked.

"Will is going to lay out an ultimatum to Ms. Gibson. She has two days to leave or he'll go to Sheriff Keller and tell him to look into her identity at the school." Betty told him.

"He can't do that. You have to convince him not to." Archie told the girls.

"Archie, I haven't known Will as long as you and Betty, but he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to back off of something like this." Jesse told him. "He went on a ten-minute rant about how we were doing the right thing so I don't think anything we can say is going to stop him."

Archie sighed as Jesse and Betty saw he was in a real stump. "I'm sorry, Archie but it might be for the best." Betty said as Archie nodded, walking away, and leaving the two girls wondering if everything was going to be ok. "We did the right thing, right?"

"We did. Will was right." Jesse said as she looked at Betty. "Better he hears this from us than from anyone else."

"Thanks for coming along, Jesse. You didn't have to do that." Betty said as the two walked down the street to Betty's house.

"It's no problem. I'm not Will but I help out however I can. It's what makes me, me." Jesse said as Betty smiled. "Although after everything that's happened, I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for a night at the drive-in."

"Me neither. Come on, let me get my purse and we'll head to Pop's." Betty said as the two new friends made their way to Betty's house, not knowing the surprise and a furious Alice that was waiting for them.

Line Break xxxxx

Will drove home and got his homework out of the way as fast as possible so he could focus on the SAT prep. The one downside in being a junior was the stress the SATs were going to give him and Cheryl this year. Half of his work since school started had been SAT prep and it sucked.

Around 6 o'clock, Will grabbed his jacket, a blanket and his keys and walked downstairs to meet Cheryl. He walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and saw his dad finish up a phone call and from his voice it sounded like it had to do with work. "Yeah…uh huh, that's right. Ok, I'll work up some redesigns and get them to you next week and schedule the meetings with the construction team for the week after. All right, give my best to the Mrs."

"Everything ok, dad?" Will asked.

"We just ran into a little hick-up with the new building I was designing in Manhattan. I need to draw up some redesigns for the top floors and then I need to meet with the construction team." John said as Will nodded.

"Oh, that sucks. Need some help?" Will offered but John shook his head no.

"No, I can do this. I've been designing buildings for a long time so this is nothing. Besides, you should be focusing on your schoolwork as best you can. You have SATs this year and those are important." John told his son and heard an all familiar groan.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I hope whoever invented standardized tests is undergoing personal torture in hell." Will said as John chuckled, understanding his pain and knew it was shared by anyone who had taken them or will take them.

"Where's Jesse? She hasn't come home yet." John said.

"She's with Betty. They're hanging out. I think they're becoming good friends." Will said.

"Well, Betty's someone very likeable, like you." John said as Will chuckled. That's when Will noticed his mother wasn't around.

"Where's mom?" Will asked.

"She's getting some rest. She had a bit of a heavy morning. She spoke to your aunt Elizabeth and told her everything." John said and Will understood.

"She and Uncle Peter didn't know, did they?" Will asked as John shook his head no.

"No. They didn't know either, which kind of irks Peter considering he's an FBI agent but they're just glad she's back and ok. Although learning about Jesse led to a whole bunch of questions. We're thinking of heading to the city one weekend to speak to them." John said as Will nodded.

"Right, probably a lot to talk about." Will said with a small amount of subtext in that sentence that John picked up on.

"Is there something you need to talk about, Will?" Will looked at his dad and thought about his conversation with Veronica and she was right that he needed to work this out eventually.

"Just some stuff I'm dealing with, that's it." Will replied.

"Anything you want to talk about?" John asked as Will shook his head no.

"Not today. Later." Will grabbed his keys and made his way to the door.

"Will!" He turned as his dad called to him. "You know you can still talk to me about anything, right? We've been through a lot together and I want you to know that you can still come to me if you need anything."

"I know, dad. I know." Will smiled as John smiled back. The father and son have been through things and it brought them together, stronger. "I'm going to pick up Cheryl. I'll see you later."

Will drove his Impala and picked up a special treat for Cheryl before heading to Blossom Mansion. He parked his car in the driveway and knocked on the door to see Mr. Blossom answer. "Hello, Mr. Blossom. Is Cheryl here?"

"Yes, she's upstairs. Have her home by 10. It's a school night." Clifford told him.

"Of course, sir." Clifford nodded in response so Will walked up the steps of the house to see Nana Rose coming down the hallway in her wheelchair. "Mrs. Blossom, do you need some help?"

"Who is that?" The old woman asked as Will walked over.

"Mrs. Blossom, it's me Will. Will Detmer, I was Jason's friend and Cheryl's boyfriend." Will knelt to her level as the old woman looked at him. "Would you like me to help you to your room?"

"Yes, thank you." The old woman smiled as Will pushed her down the hall. "Jason always loved having you as a friend…he trusted you."

"He was a good friend. I miss him. I hope he's in a better place." Will opened the door to Grandma Rose's room and pushed her in. "Here you go, Mrs. Blossom."

Will turned to leave when she grabbed his hand and stopped him. She looked up at him with and the look she was giving him was eerie and full of dread and foreboding with her bad eye. "There is a darkness in this town…a very dangerous darkness. Betrayal, murder, and corruption is coming for us all." She told him.

"Grandma Rose?" Will knelt down as she reached her hand out and grasps his wolf necklace.

"They'll come for everyone in this town…no one will be safe. Either corrupted or taken like Jason was…" Grandma Rose's voice crack a little when she said Jason's name. "They'll come for Cheryl. Only you can save her. Protect her."

"I have and always will protect Cheryl, Grandma Rose. Don't worry about her." Will assured her as she managed a small smile and touched his face.

"Jason should have trusted you. He and Polly should have trusted you and he might be alive." She said which perked his interested. Could she know something about Jason leaving and what does Polly have to do with this?

"Grandma Rose…do you know what Jason was doing?" He asked, hoping for some kind of answer.

"Will?" Will turned and saw Cheryl standing in the doorway, dressed up in her red sweater dress, thigh-high boots and black jacket with her signature spider broach.

"Cheryl, hey I was coming to see you and your grandma needed some help." He said as he stood up.

"Aren't you the sweetest?" Cheryl walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "Am I right, Nana? Will is just the sweetest boyfriend ever."

"Keep him close, Cheryl. Keep him close." Nana Rose said as Cheryl hooked arms with Will and walked out of her room, but Will looked back.

"Will, everything ok?" Cheryl asked as Will wasn't sure.

"I'm not sure. Your grandma said some…very odd things." Will said as he looked at her. "And one of them was to look out for you."

"She must like you because she mostly stays quiet." Cheryl said.

"What can I say, I'm a very likeable person." Will smirked as he kissed her, and she kissed back. "Can I just say that I love those thigh-high boots? You make it very hard to go out?"

Cheryl leaned in close as her breath brushed against his lips causing him to lean forward to kiss her, but she pulled back. "You're sweet but not right now. Besides, you said that we had a date tonight."

"That we did. I even got you something." The two went outside to Will's Impala. He opened the passenger door and took out a small box that read _April's bakery_ on it. "I got us some mini-apple tarts from April's."

"Oh, you know I love April's." She said as she smelled box and the intoxicating smell of baked apples, cinnamon and sugar filled her nose.

"It's why I stopped there before I came over. Perfect movie snack. Shall we?" Will held her hand and helped her into the passenger seat as Will got into the driver's seat and drove to the Drive-In.

The sun had set, and the Drive-In was packed with cars of patrons who were here for the final showing which was the James Dean film _Rebel without a cause_. Sheriff Keller drove through the lot, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary but kept his eye out mostly on the group of rowdy Serpents near the concession stand. Will drove through the lot to try and find a parking spot to put his car for the film. He drove down a row of cars trying to find an empty space but it seemed like they were all taken when Cheryl spotted something and had him stop.

"Will, stop here. I found our spot." She said as Will did and looked at the spot she was looking at and it was Kevin and Veronica in Sheriff Keller's truck.

"It's ok, Cheryl. I'll find us a spot." He said as she reached over and kissed him.

"Just stop the car." She said as she got out of the car with the box of tarts and the blanket. Will sighed in response and parked the car there and got out as Veronica and Kevin saw him and Cheryl stop in front of them. "Make some room please."

Veronica and Kevin scooted over as best they could when Will noticed there was likely only enough space for one of them. "Uh, Cheryl there's not enough space for the both of us." He told her.

"We'll make do." Cheryl handed him the blanket down in the truck bed next to Veronica. Cheryl then motioned him to sit so Will got in the back and sat down on the blanket. Cheryl then got in-between his legs and lay down against his chest. "See. No problem."

Will chuckled and kissed her head and looked over to Veronica and Kevin. "Sorry for this."

"It's no problem." Kevin assured him as Veronica smiled and nodded. Cheryl opened up the pastry box and took one of the apple tarts and took a bite. She reached up and Will took a small bite before giving her a quick kiss. The two enjoyed the tarts, popcorn, and snacks as they snuggled together to keep warm while watching the movie.

"That hair. That jacket." Kevin and Veronica said about James Dean.

"Jason always loved the Drive-in." Cheryl said with fondness as Will held her close and kissed her head. She snuggled into his arms and kissed his hand as the two tried to enjoy the movie but the Serpents by the concession stand were getting rowdier.

"Southside trash." Kevin said.

"They've been doing that since the opening credits." Veronica replied as Kevin turned to them and shhhh them but the Serpents just laughed him off and shushed back. "Hey! You know what happens to a snake when a Louis Vuitton heel steps on it?! Shut the hell up or you'll find out!"

The regular patrons at the Drive-in began cheering and honking their horns in applause for Veronica's brazen shutdown of the Serpents. "Wow, Ronnie." Will commented as Veronica smiled and sat back down. "I felt Cheryl ready to throw some shade but I'm not letting her up." He kissed her head as Cheryl smiled and leaned into him. "Most people wouldn't have spoken up and threatened the Serpents."

"I'm not like most people. And believe me, I've dealt with worse in the East Village. I just hate when people disrespect my cinematic experience." Veronica said as she saw the popcorn box was empty. "We need a refill."

"I'll go." Will said as he tried to get up but Cheryl wouldn't let him. "Or not. Kevin, would you mind?"

"Yeah, Kev. Cherry Cola, as always." Cheryl said as Will pulled out his wallet and gave him some money.

"Get something for yourself too." Will said as Kevin left, leaving Veronica, Cheryl, and Will in the truck with a little more room.

Veronica then got out of the truck and went somewhere, probably to the bathroom which left just Will and Cheryl together. "Now, this is more like it." Cheryl said as the two snuggled together and he kissed her head. "Just the two of us under a nice blanket."

"Yeah, keeping each other warm, a few snacks, and under the night sky." He was happy in this moment and kissed her head and held her hand. "I'm kind of kicking myself we didn't get together sooner. We would have been able to do this before. Guess I'll just have to make-up for the lost time with some other night-time dates. Maybe…late-night picnic under the stars?"

"Oh…that sounds interesting." Cheryl said.

"Yeah, us together, a fuzzy blanket on the ground, maybe a small fire to keep us warm and no one to bother us. Or maybe there's an early snowfall this year and we huddle together at Thistlehouse and stay warm by the fireplace?" He suggested as Cheryl looked up and him and gave him a long, loving kiss.

"It all sounds wonderful." She said as she laid her head down on his chest and heard his steady heartbeat. "It feels like a fairy tale."

"Then call me your prince charming." He joked as she chuckled.

"How about my big fluffy wolf instead?" She joked which actually made Will laugh. The moment was interrupted when Will's phone went off with a text. He took it out of his pocket and saw it was from Jesse. He looked and his stomach immediately dropped at the contents of the text.

 _9-1-1!BETTY'S MOM FOUND THE GUN FROM GRUNDY'S CAR AND FOUND OUT THE TRUTH! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! HURRY TO THE SCHOOL!_ The text read as Will realized he didn't have time. He needed to do some damage control before Alice blew everything out of proportion.

"Cheryl, I'm so sorry but I need to go." Will stood up and got out of the truck and rolled up the blanket. "I would never do this to you but it's an emergency."

"What's wrong?" Cheryl asked.

"Betty, Archie, and Jesse are in trouble. I need to go." Will pulled her over and held her cheek. "I am so sorry. I would never do this to you but I need to go."

"All right, but I'm coming with you." She said as Will was about to protest when she shut him up with a kiss. "You've been there for me and I want to be there for you. You said you'd always be there for me and that you wanted everything I had. I want the same for you and that includes both this and this."

Cheryl pointed to his head and his heart. "Don't keep me out. No secrets between us." Cheryl said as Will couldn't bring himself to argue with her and he was running out of time.

"Ok, come on." The two hurried into his Impala and he drove as fast as he could to the school where he saw Mrs. Cooper's car and Mr. Andrew's truck parked in the parking lot. He and Cheryl rushed in and ran to the music room just as Alice, Mr. Andrews, Betty, and Jesse arrived.

"Oh, good everyone who's involved is here." Alice said once she saw Will arrive.

"C-Can someone explain what's going on here?" Grundy asked, trying to keep a calm demeanor in the situation of her worst nightmare.

"Yes, Archie. Would you care to share with us what you and Mrs. Robinson have been doing during your music lesson? And please don't leave out any of the lurid details because Betty keeps a very meticulous diary and I'm more than happy to fill in the details." Alice said with glee.

"That's enough, Mrs. Cooper." Will warned her.

"Oh my god. Archie and Ms. Grundy?" Cheryl whispered as Will motioned her to not speak.

"I never thought I'd live to see this day. I thought the one thing that we could keep our Riverdale safe from was Child Predators." Alice said as she got in Grundy's face.

"Miss Grundy isn't a predator. She's a good person." Archie tried to defend her.

"That's an incorrect statement." Will said. "Archie don't try and defend what she did because there is no person who would understand that."

"He's right, Archie. You don't have to defend me." Grundy said.

"No, he doesn't." Fred said, his overprotective side showing.

"Well, they're certainly not denying it, are they? There are clearly guilty. I saw we take this to Sheriff Keller and let the wheels of justice take over." Alice announced.

"Dad, you can't let that happen." Archie begged him.

"Son, it's complicated." Fred was still trying to process the information.

"She didn't force me to do anything, I went after her. Everything that happened, I wanted it to happen." Archie told him.

"Well, there's no surprise there." Alice commented so Will stepped in.

"Ok, what exactly was your whole goal here, Mrs. Cooper because you really believed in justice then you would have gone to Sheriff Keller first and avoided all this pomp and circumstance?" Will knew she wasn't just here for justice but something else.

"Why are you doing this, Mom? Putting Ms. Grundy on trial?" Betty asked.

"This isn't just about her…" Alice turned around and pointed at Archie. "This is about him. I want you to see what kind of person Archie truly is."

"Wait a minute; is that what this is all about? Your crazy grudge against my teenage son?" Fred asked.

"I'm never going to stop being friends with Archie, mom. Ever." Betty told her.

"That's it, we are done here." Fred told Alice.

"Oh, we are far from done here!" Alice replied.

"Everyone, just stop please!" Archie shouted. "You're right about me, Mrs. Cooper. You're right. I'm selfish, and I'm stupid, and I don't deserve to be your daughter's friend or have Will looked out for me like he does. The only thing he's done since he found out is to try and protect me and I wouldn't listen. But please, don't hurt Ms. Grundy because you want to hurt me."

"This isn't about hurting anyone Archie. It's about doing what's right. And of course, informing out neighbors." Alice added.

"How much like the Coopers to use something for their own benefit." Cheryl commented.

"Excuse me—""Print one word about this Mom and I'll tell everyone that I broke into Grundy's car." Betty stopped her mom.

"Betty, don't." Jesse tried to stop her.

"That I robbed her and made up the story of her affair. It'll be like…I finally snapped…like Polly." Betty warned her as Alice was shocked Betty would do that. "It'll prove what everyone already thinks about us…crazy runs in the family. Like mother, like daughter."

"That's enough out of everyone!" Will shouted, getting them all to stop. "Given everything that happened, there's one way this ends and that is she needs to leave Riverdale now."

Everyone looked at will as he glanced at Grundy/Gibson. "She quits her job and leaves Riverdale for good. Tomorrow, I give Sheriff Keller the information Betty and I found on her fake identity but that's it. Nothing about the affair or anything leaves this room and she can never step foot in the town again."

"I'll do it. I'll leave." Grundy/Gibson agreed with Will's idea as Alice looked at her.

"Fine." Alice replied.

"No, no she doesn't need to leave." Archie said.

"Son, don't fight this." Fred told him.

"Why does she need to leave town?" Archie demanded to know.

"Because Will's right. It's what's best and because Alice will keep her word." Fred explained.

"I will." Alice replied.

"I'll pack my things and be gone before morning." Grundy grabbed her new cello bow and left as Archie ran up to her, but Will grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, Archie but there was only two ways your relationship would have ended. This was the best option." Will said as Archie pulled his arm away. "I'm sorry if you'll hate me for this but know I did this…all of this to protect you."

Everyone left after the whole drama of the Grundy/Gibson revelation, unsure about where to go from here. Jesse left with Will as he drove to Thornhill to drop off Cheryl and the end of what seemed like a horrible date. He parked the car and helped Cheryl out of the shotgun seat and walked her to the door.

"Cheryl, I'm so sorry about what happened tonight. This is not how I planned the date at all." Will told her.

"It's ok. Watching all that drama more than made up for it." Cheryl replied. "At least I know why you've been so preoccupied lately and it's a good thing that Grundy witch is gone."

"Yeah. Cheryl, with everything you heard today you—""I know, I won't say anything about what I saw. It'll be good blackmail material if I need it." Cheryl said with a sweet smile. "Joking, of course. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow, gorgeous." Will kissed his girlfriend goodnight and got back in the car. He sat in the driver's seat, not moving at all as Jesse got out from the back and got in the passenger seat beside him.

"Mom and dad know about this, don't they?" Jesse asked as Will nodded.

"Definitely. Knowing Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Andrews, they know." Will said and right after he finished, both of them got a text from their dad that read **COME HOME NOW**.

"We're so screwed." Jesse said.

"That we are. I'll tell them the whole thing was my idea." Will told her but she shook her head no.

"No, I knew what I was getting into and I wanted to help. If they yell at one of us, they yell at both of us." Jesse said as Will adopted a small smirk. "Let's go face the music."

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Will said as he drove them home to face the wrath of his mom and dad.

They walked in through the front door and saw John standing there in the kitchen with his arms crossed and Rosaline sitting in a chair against the kitchen counter. Both of them had unhappy expressions on their faces as the two siblings walked in. They walked into the kitchen and Rosaline got up and rushed over and hugged the two. "Are you two all right?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're fine. We weren't in danger." Jesse told her mom.

"We'd believe that, but we had no idea what was going on. We had to hear this from Alice Cooper of all people, and she loves to spin the truth." John said.

"In more ways than one." Jesse said to herself.

"So, what exactly happened because once Alice told us that she found a gun in Betty's room, the two of us assumed the worst. What happened?" John asked as Will sighed and prepared himself to tell the entire story to his dad.

"It started in the summer. Sometime Archie and Gibson started a relationship. It's why he ditched me and Jughead during the summer when we were supposed to go on our 4th of July road trip. None of us knew at the time when school started but when news of Jason's death resurfaced, Jughead and I started to see he was acting odd and we saw him and Grundy in the music room and they were more than just student and teacher." Will told him.

"Jughead knew about this too? Why didn't either of you think to come to me or see Sheriff Keller?" John asked.

"We wanted to, and we probably should have but Archie begged us not too and we weren't sure what would happen." Will tried to justify his choice. "If we went straight to Principal Weatherbee or Sheriff Keller about her then they would make the connection to Archie and his life would be a living hell. The whole thing would have gotten out and it would have ruined his life."

"He's right, dad. Ok, I've seen it happen." Jesse said.

"You mean with your friend, Andrew?" Rosaline asked as Jesse nodded.

"I had to figure out a solution to deal with her without anyone figuring out the truth and soon Betty and Jesse found out." Will said.

"Once we found out, we began digging into her and we found out she wasn't who she said she was and that her real name was Jennifer Gibson. She was a divorcee from Minneapolis and her husband wasn't the nicest person." Jesse added. "The person you definitely wouldn't want to be married to so she moved here and changed her name and also why we found the gun. At first, we thought she may have been involved with Jason Blossom's death."

"What?" John asked.

"We were wrong with that. We thought she was because she and Archie were at Sweetwater River when Jason was leaving and heard a gunshot. The reason she didn't want to come forward was not because she was involved but because she didn't want Sheriff Keller digging into her past. Once we found out the truth, I planned to confront her. She had to leave town for good because I was still going to give Sheriff Keller information on her fake identity. He'd be focused on that instead on if she and Archie were in a relationship." Will told them. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Cooper found out everything and confronted her tonight."

"We know. She and Fred told me. You have no idea how it felt to be the one parent who was out of the loop of this entire thing and didn't pick up on it." John said as he looked at Will. "Will, I thought we had an understanding that there weren't any secrets between us."

"It's kind of hard to say that considering you kept a pretty big secret from me." Will replied.

"I did that to protect you." John told him.

"And I did this to protect Archie. Should I have told you earlier, maybe but I handled the situation as best as I could and considering what could have happened, I'm not ashamed of what I did." Will shot back at his dad.

"Will, we're not saying you should be ashamed of your actions but what you did was dangerous." Rosaline said.

"Please, I had the whole situation under control. I've learned what I can't and can handle." Will replied.

"Your mother has a point, Will. We're just trying to keep you safe." John said. "And end results aside, we are not happy. Neither one of you should have done this alone. You should have come to one of us for help."

"We were fine and we handled it." Will told his dad. "I've been fine on my own and I handled it. Besides, you were busy as it is."

"Will, you can come to us for anything. No matter what is going on, you need to know that you can trust us." Rosaline said.

"Quite frankly, I'm not sure if I'm ready for that." Will said which caught John and Rosaline off guard. "There's still a lot I need to deal with."'

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"I'm not sure if I've completely reconciled what happened and the lies that I've been told, ok." Will decided to finally speak about the lingering issues he had with the whole thing. "Ok, with you and Jesse coming here and what I've been told, what am I supposed to do? Sure, I'm ok with Jesse and I'm doing my best to make sure she has a life but what about everything else? Am I just supposed to continue like the past 16 years never happened or bottle everything up? And how am I supposed to even feel about any of this? Ok, you left me when I was just a baby and you could have come back whenever you wanted so we could have been a family but you decided against it. And my father lied to me about you for years and it was only until I began to piece it together did I learn the truth and then lied to me again when you showed up in town. So you can understand why I decided to handle this on my own."

"Will, I know I lied to you about so many things and that you're hurting but I'm here to try and make things right. Believe me, I'm sorry." Rosaline said to him.

"So, what? We live like a normal happy family and pretend like the past 16 years of lies and messed up things never happened?" Will asked. "You know what the funny thing is, is that I'm not ever sure why I'm making a big deal about this because come a few months from now it won't even matter."

"Will, you are way out of line." John told him. "You think you're the only one whose world has been turned around from the sudden discovery? You're not, ok. We're all dealing with this."

"Well, great for all of you but I'm not even sure how I should even feel about any of this, ok? Am I glad she's back? Yes. Am I pissed off and beyond angry at everything that happened? Yes. Am I glad to have Jesse in my life? Beyond happy but now what do I feel or what am I even supposed to feel? Ok, you and Jesse have had a relationship with mom. You married her and Jesse grew up with her her entire life and now that she's here she'll grow up with her dad so where does that leave me?" Will asked.

"In the same spot as everyone here, Will. Ok, I was with mom when she got her diagnosis and it kills me just thinking about it. And you think me meeting my brother and father after all these years is easy? You know what you're problem is? You won't even admit to any of this? Ever since we've been here, you haven't even made an effort to try and talk to her unless dad or I are in the room because I think you are still in denial about this whole thing. You won't even admit that you have a problem with her and this whole thing because if you admit it then it's real and if real then you have to deal with it and you can't handle that." Jesse told him.

"Right, because this is so easy for you." Will shot back.

"No, of course it's not easy for me but I'm dealing with it as best I can." Jesse replied.

"Yeah, except you and dad have had a relationship with mom. Ok, dad and her were together for years before they got married and you grew up with her through all of it. And now that you're here, you can have a relationship with dad for the rest of your life but where does that leave me?! You and dad have had something with her that I never had! And now I'm just supposed to accept that I never will have it?!" Will shouted as he threw his keys into the wall in frustration and anger as he finally let out all the bottled feelings about everything he had been feeling with his mother out into the open. Will walked up to the wall and slid down it in exhaustion from the emotional rollercoaster he just went through and everyone else felt the same.

Rosaline walked over and sat down next to him, feeling horrible about the amount of stress and pent up anger he must have been feeling over this when she thought he was doing better. She reached up and pulled him close so he could lay his head on his shoulder and either because Will was too tired or didn't care, he didn't fight it.

"I'm so, so sorry for all of this, Will." She said, her voice-breaking as tears came down her cheeks. "I never wanted to put you through this and you're suffering for my mistakes."

"No, for both of our mistakes." John added as he walked over to Jesse. "We never stopped to think how much of a giant change this would be for both of you. Despite everything, you two should be our first priority."

"If you need someone to blame for all of this, blame me. Ok, I know that there's nothing I can say right now that you'll believe but I really want to make up for everything that I put you and your father through. And I know that all of this is a lot but I want you and Jesse to know that everything in my life never mattered until the two of you were born." She said as she stood up and looked at her daughter. "I made a lot of mistakes in my life but the day you and your brother were born was not one of them. I never told anyone this before when you and your brother were born…I was beyond terrified. All the mistakes in my life and I knew you two would bear the brunt of them but…when I saw you two together at the coffee shop…I knew all my mistakes led to two amazing, successes. Two children who despite everything, have grown to be everything I wasn't. And I knew from the moment I saw you two together, I knew you two would grow to be better. The best kind of love can change you and I couldn't be more proud of my two loving children right now."

Jesse and Will began to tear up as Rosaline held Jesse's cheek. "I wish I could be here forever with you two but we never get what we want. But life gave us what we need…and seeing the rest of my family together was all I needed." She said as Jesse hugged her mother tight and cried as Rosaline cried as well. John hugged the two of them as well when Will got to his feet and slowly walked over. "Come here, Will."

She brought him close and he joined in on the group hug, the Detmer family was together and while they weren't perfect…with time they would heal. This moment itself was a big one for all of them and it was long overdue.

"I hope I'm not crushing you." Will said as Rosaline and Jesse happy cried as she kissed her son's head. "I'm sorry for everything I said."

"No, don't be sorry. Never be sorry." Rosaline told him and Jesse. "God knows this is going to be a long haul and this is new for all of us. So, we take it one day at a time."

"She's right. We take it one day at a time and if any one of us feel anything at all, we talk about it." John said as they all nodded in agreement.

"That sounds good." Will replied as John kissed his head.

"I like the sound of that." Jesse said as she wiped her tears and smiled. "Considering our little family talk, I think a clean slate is in order."

"Nice try, Jesse but you and Will are still in trouble." Rosaline said as she kissed her head.

"She's right. Grounded, two weeks, both of you." John told them.

"You're tough but fair." Will joked as he and Jesse chuckled. The Detmers have been through hell but they were together now and with time, things would get better. But time was also against them.

 **End of Chapter 3**

 **Sorry if the chapter took too long but this one I ended up rewriting because I wasn't sure where I initially wanted to go with it but I'm happy with it. The chapter was initially going to have more than one episode but one episode was good enough for this one. It showcased more of Will and his new family life including Jesse. I'm exciting to dive into her character more as the story goes on. Will's relationship with his mother and sister will continue to develop and I'm glad about the end part because it got most of the lingering feelings out into the open. Now they can try and move forward as best they can.**

 **I liked this chapter because it set up a lot of groundwork for future plot points and it also introduces some familiar faces. For those that caught on, Will's uncle Espo and his friends are the character from ABC's Castle, one of the best police procedural shows ever made. All praise Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic. The two shows share the same universe and Esposito is Will's godfather and they will return in later chapters. For timeline wise, Esposito and the others are currently in Castle Season 4 so you understand. Also, Will's uncle and aunt on his mother's side will come back later in the story as well. I'm also just glad I got to show Will's date with Cheryl. I like the two together and they'll stick with each other as shit gets real. Veronica will spice things up and Toni, who is already close friends with Will is only going to make things interesting. Given Will's relationship with Cheryl, things won't play out the same as they did in the show. Speaking of the show, I have honestly no idea where the writers took it for season 3 but I can tell you all that when I get there, it won't be anywhere near the same thing.**

 **Next chapter, with Grundy gone the group tries to focus on the Jason Blossom murder but with his burial, it brings to light certain details that none of them were aware of. Not only that, Veronica learns more about Cheryl and vice-versa as the two polar opposites begin to bridge a friendship. Until next time.**

 **OC Characters:**

 **Will Detmer:** Steven R. McQueen

 **John Detmer:** Sam Worthington

 **Rosaline Detmer:** Leslie Mann

 **Jessica 'Jesse' Detmer:** Violett Beane

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Riverdale or any properties, songs, or such that were used in this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.**


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